Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in heated COVID-19 Senate hearing
Retired immunologist Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during a Senate hearing regarding the origins of COVID-19. Fauci stated he declined to answer to avoid potential manipulation of his testimony by Republican lawmakers seeking criminal prosecution.
Why it matters
The use of the Fifth Amendment by a prominent former public health official in a congressional hearing underscores the intense political polarization surrounding the pandemic's history.
The leading physician has declined to answer Senate questions as Republicans like Rand Paul accuse him of covering up COVID’s origins.
x whatsapp-stroke copylink google Add Al Jazeera on Google info Anthony Fauci is sworn in during a US Senate committee hearing in Washington, DC, on July 29 [AFP] By Al Jazeera Staff and The Associated Press Published On 29 Jul 2026 29 Jul 2026 Retired immunologist Anthony Fauci, 85, has declined to answer questions from United States senators about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic , invoking protections under the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution.
On Wednesday, Fauci appeared before a Republican-led committee on homeland security and government affairs, led by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who has been critical of the physician’s record during the pandemic.
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