Dr. Anthony Fauci is facing fresh backlash after repeatedly pleading the Fifth during a heated Senate hearing about the government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases was questioned before a Republican-led Senate committee on Wednesday, where he refused to answer questions by using his Fifth Amendment right. His testimony didn’t take long to spark outrage from both GOP lawmakers and conservative social media users, with several of them arguing that the federal pardon former President Joe Biden granted him meant he had no reason to stay silent. Read more about his hearing and how the internet reacted below.
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Anthony Fauci Pleads The Fifth During Senate Hearing On COVID-19
One of the most famous faces during the COVID-19 pandemic in America was Dr. Anthony Fauci, as he was the main face who informed the public as to how the country was handling the scary illness and what to do about it.
Now, this week, he's being questioned as to how he handled it. On Wednesday, July 29th, he appeared before a Republican-led Senate committee, as he was called to testify as part of an ongoing investigation into the American government's response to the pandemic, including questions about COVID-19's origins, research, funding, and whether government officials misled the public. The physician and immunologist gave the committee a quick opening statement that defended his years of service, stating, "I have always followed the science and the evidence, and I have always told the truth."
Then, as Senators began to ask him questions, he quickly made headlines as he began responding in the same way over and over, which was by declining to answer and invoking his Fifth Amendment right.
It didn't take long for the hearing to get tense, with senators becoming visibly annoyed and frustrated with his lack of new information, getting to the point where Republican senator from Kentucky, Rand Paul, brought up the doctor's pardon given to him by former President Joe Biden. He essentially argued that because Biden had already pardoned Fauci, he had no reason to plead the Fifth, a sentiment many right-wing social media users agreed with.
Republicans & Conservatives Sound Off On Dr. Fauci Via Social Media
Fauci's testimony quickly went viral on social media, where many conservatives and Republicans criticized his decision to plead the Fifth through different platforms.
Many users were frustrated at the lack of clear answers from the 85-year-old, especially with those who felt the pardon from President Biden was irrelevant and disagreed with the way both administrations handled the pandemic when it broke out in the United States in early 2020.
"He's not going to answer any questions because he knows he's guilty of crimes against humanity," responded an X user.
"You don't have any rights," suggested a user, though technically, pleading the Fifth is a constitutional right and does not imply guilt.
"This guy isn't handling things well," one user wrote.
"If he's got nothing to hide, then he should have answered the questions," commented another.
"Fauci, Dr. Doom, Dr. Frankenstein is a fraud and a phony," added an angry user.
