On Thursday, August 6th, 2026, a Republican-controlled US Senate committee voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The decision followed a tense hearing in which Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment rights to avoid answering questions about his role in managing the US response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fauci, who led NIAID for 38 years before retiring in 2022, gave the same response dozens of times during the hearing, refusing to provide clarifying answers while citing constitutional protections. The committee's vote reflects ongoing political tensions surrounding the investigation into the pandemic response.

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