Dr. Anthony Fauci, who served as a key adviser to Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden during the Covid-19 pandemic, declined to answer questions at a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. The veteran former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment.

In his opening statement, Fauci said Republican Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who called the hearing, had led a years-long investigation into Fauci and the origins of the pandemic. Fauci described the investigation as aimed at “embarrassing and intimidating me” and ultimately attempting to land him “behind bars.” He expressed regret but cited respect for the legislative branch and his history of cooperation with Congress as reasons for invoking his rights under legal counsel.

Fauci, 85, who served under seven U.S. presidents and through multiple health crises including HIV, Ebola, and the first coronavirus outbreak (SARS-CoV-1), became widely known during the Covid-19 pandemic that disrupted social life in 2020.

The hearing quickly devolved into a contentious exchange between Fauci and Senator Paul. Paul questioned whether the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted research in coordination with intelligence agencies such as the CIA or the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Republicans framed their investigation as probing the origins of Covid-19 and taxpayer-funded life science research. However, scientists have criticized the investigation as “vilification and harassment” of Fauci, who retired from NIAID in 2022 after 38 years of leadership.

During the hearing, Representative Johnson accused Fauci of “lying” to his own diary and referred to the Covid-19 vaccine, credited by scientists with saving millions of lives, as “experimental gene therapy.”

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