Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment on Wednesday during testimony in front of the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
In doing so, he eliminated the opportunity for fireworks between him and the committee’s chairman, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who planned to question Fauci on COVID-19’s origins and the federal response to the pandemic.
“The only conclusion that I can reach is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, behind bars,” Fauci said after invoking the Fifth Amendment.
Now, however, Republicans on the committee will have an opportunity to make claims about the pandemic without interruption from Fauci.
Republicans were expected to question Fauci for publicly dismissing the idea that the virus leaked from a laboratory in China that was conducting sensitive research, while privately admitting in his diary that it is more possible. Fauci served in top health positions for decades and routinely filed mandated financial disclosure statements, but that has not stopped some Republican lawmakers from accusing him of personally profiting from the pandemic, which he has denied.
Some health policies adopted during the pandemic were found to be less effective, and some, like moving elderly patients into nursing homes to make hospital beds more available for acute cases, are now thought to have led to the deaths of many elderly patients.
Republicans have long focused on Fauci
Scrutiny of Fauci was a key driver in the rise of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who publicly called the life-saving vaccines dangerous and encouraged people not to take them, leading him to be banned from social media platforms. That censorship, Kennedy said, led him to run for president, initially as a Democrat, then as an independent, before dropping out and endorsing Trump.
Wednesday’s hearing also brings Fauci and the country’s response to COVID-19 back into the spotlight less than 100 days before the midterm elections, where public polling shows Democrats in a strong position against Republicans.
In his own words
Ahead of the hearing, Paul released hundreds of pages from Fauci’s personal diaries from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his diaries, Fauci not only memorialized his thoughts at the time, but he described private conversations with prominent figures as they grappled with a once-in-a-lifetime health crisis.
Fauci described yelling at a meeting in the Situation Room with Trump administration officials, including one who was considered incompetent but could not be fired. The doctor also noted that even after Trump called Fauci an idiot, he had a top aide call him for help before a debate with Joe Biden. Fauci also described a phone call he received from former president Barack Obama, who, according to Fauci’s diary, called Donald Trump, Jr. a “f—ing moron” for selling shirts that said, “Faucis kills puppies.”
Here are some experts from Fauci’s diary that reveal private reflections and conversations. Straight Arrow has censored instances of profanity.
Now 400 cases and 9 deaths. … On the interview below (FOX Business with David Asman) one of the panel asked me to comment of a clip he played where Trump said that everything is under control. Xi Jinping told him everything is under control. I had to answer that we are taking this very seriously and that Americans should not be frightened or worry, but we are taking it seriously. Let us see if this pits me against the POTUS.
Goodday for me since for the 3rd day in a row, I do not need to be at press conference and stand (or sit) there and listen to his stream of consciousness.
Note: Donald Trump was president at this time and had begun holding press conferences regularly.
Everyone in the country and the world is saying that we do not have enough testing and Brett keeps saying that we do when the people in the trenches all so no. We are looking like idiots and I told the group that. Deb is weak!! She says that she has gone to to VP 3 times saying that Brett is a disaste [sic] and the VP “cannot d anything about it.” Deb claims that this is because Brett is backed by Jared and the VP does not want to go there. Holy S—!!!!!
Note: ADM Brett P. Giroir, M.D. was the Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Deborah Birx, M.D. was the Coronavirus Response Coordinator.
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, was a top adviser to the president.
Mike Pence served as Vice President in Trump’s first term.
Trump stoking violence (racial tensions) in Kenosha, WI and Portland, OR QAnon misrepresenting data from CDC that says that about 9000 out of the >180,000 deaths reported for COVID-19 had only COVID-19 on the death certificate. The remainder also had other underlying conditions. QAnon is saying that all the other deaths had nothing to do with COVID-19. The POTUS loves this and is tweeting that Fauci and Birx shut down the country for only 9000 deaths. What an idiot!!
Trump is on tear trashing me saying that I am a “disaster”, going on about my throwing arm at the Nats opener, tweeting constantly about me, saying if he had listened to me 500K people would be dead by now. Calling the Task Force people “idiots” He is really sounding totally crazy. He must have driven over the edge by the incredibly well-received profile of me last night on CBS “60 Minutes” The response of my supporters with e-mails, texts, and tweets has been overwhelming. Some examples of hundreds of e-mails and texts: Text from Joan Baez – “I hope you’re celebrating. It’s an honor to be attacked by that miserable f—”. Text from Hilary Rosen – “14 more days. Hang in there. We need you. That f—head isn’t fit to tie your shoes.
Xo Hilary”
… Got call from Mark Meadows from Nashville with the last Presidential debate takes place. Mark said that they want to put up a plexiglass plate between Trump and Biden and Trump feels that this is a distraction. Mark called me to ask my opinion and I confirmed that it is unnecessary. The POTUS is not infected nor is Biden. Mark thanked me and a few minutes later Dr. Kens Sands (Physician for the debate) called me at Mark’s suggestion to discuss the details of our data that the POTUS is no longer transmissible. I gave him the CT number of 34.3 CT and the negative antigen tests and cultures. He was satisfied. Amazing → POTUS days I am an “idiot” and a “Disaster” and then counts on me to verify about his Health.
Did a very enjoyable fireside chat with Rebecca Katz of Georgetown under the auspices of the Smithsonian. Broad observation. The medical team and I have been struggling with this issue that is out there percolating. It relates to the fact that people who might not want to obey the mandate to get vaccinated are saying that if they had previously been infected that this should count the same as already being vaccinated and so they should not be mandated to get vaccinated and they should not lose their jobs if they are in a situation where it is required that should be vaccinated to work in a certain organization. Although there are much more data about vaccinated people people who have post infection immunity comma it is in fact a legitimate question that they Are asking.
The idiots like Rand Paul as indicated above do nothing but aim their criticism at me as if I am the person that’s doing the mandates. However, despite that we still have to addressed this issue.
… President Obama called me tonight at 5:00 PM on my cell phone and offered to help in any way that he can. He started off the conversation by saying that he was concerned about me and how I was holding up under this onslaught of slanderous lies. HE SAID THAT I WAS A “CIVILIAN” and that I should not have to put with this nonsense. He as a politician is used to this, but I have done nothing but serve that American public and the world for decades.
… President Obama felt that we should do more than just claiming that they have my support and actually go on the offensive and call out people who are allowing this to be said and are not stepping up. President Obama said that he would call up Jeff Zients and tell him to mobilize some of the people in the administration to proactively go out and defend me. I told President Obama about the crazy things that the far-right Republicans were doing including the fact that Donald Trump, Jr. had on his website the sale of sweatshirts and T shirts to collect money for his campaign and on the T shirts and sweatshirts it said “Fauci kills puppies “. Obama said That Donald Trump junior is “A f—— moron”. He apologized for using crude language but then went on to say that Donald Trump was a hopeless idiot who was a pathologic liar. He was very upset that none of the moderate Republicans were actually speaking out on my behalf and were distancing themselves from all of this terrible slanderous behavior against me. It was a great conversation that lasted for 25 minutes and he said that if he hears anything about movement in this direction he will get back to me. It indeed was an incredibly memorable phone call.