Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers sharply criticized former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci following Fauci's recent Senate testimony. During a hearing before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on July 29, 2026, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times while facing questions about his personal diary and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rodgers, responding to a question from Pat McAfee at Steelers training camp, mocked Fauci's repeated use of the Fifth Amendment. "I’m gonna plead the Fifth," Rodgers said, as McAfee and fans laughed, "like that absolute coward Tony Fauci. Are you kidding me? You get a pardon and you pleaded over 100 times at the White House? What are you scared of, Tony? I thought you were the science. ‘I am science,’ and you get up there and can’t answer a question? What are we doing?"

Rodgers further accused Fauci of spending his time writing in his diary about the perks of fame rather than addressing critical issues. He also stated, "Now, you can’t talk about the COVID stuff because obviously it was made in a lab in China. That’s like not even questionable anymore. Tony Fauci is an absolute criminal."

Rodgers also criticized ESPN for not covering Fauci's testimony, contrasting it with the network's extensive focus on his own vaccination status and celebrity weddings.

Fauci's testimony was conducted under the advice of his attorneys before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chaired by Senator Gary Peters. The hearing sought answers related to Fauci's role during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sources