Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment at Rand Paul-led US Senate COVID hearing

Former top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination at a Senate hearing Wednesday, refusing to answer questions and accusing Republican Senator Rand Paul of an "unhinged" campaign to see him imprisoned. Fauci, 85, who retired in 2022, was subpoenaed by Paul, the chair of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and a longtime adversary.

Fauci refused to answer more than 100 questions posed by the committee. Paul asserted that Fauci was not allowed to plead the Fifth Amendment and warned of consequences, including a vote to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress. Paul stated that a pardon from former President Joe Biden would not shield Fauci from these proceedings.

Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 38 years and became a prominent figure in the U.S. pandemic response, has been a frequent target of criticism from former President Donald Trump and many American conservatives. They have sought to assign blame for the pandemic's significant death toll, which exceeded 1.1 million in the United States, with Fauci becoming a focal point of their anger.

Critics have targeted Fauci's recommendations on lockdown measures, mask-wearing, social distancing, and vaccine promotion, which became highly politicized despite scientific evidence supporting their safety and effectiveness. Fauci and other public health officials maintained that these measures were based on the best available scientific evidence at the time to slow the spread of the virus.

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his ideas were CRAZY!