The Confrontations

At the March 18, 2021 HELP hearing, Paul questioned why people who had been infected or vaccinated should still wear masks, calling the practice theater; Fauci answered that variants made continued masking prudent. The C-SPAN account's clip of the exchange circulated widely on X.

Here we go again with the theater.

— Anthony Fauci · March 18, 2021

Fox News broadcast of the same March 18, 2021 HELP exchange, carried as a news segment the day of the hearing. Paul's two-masks question to Fauci anchors the package.

You have the vaccine and you're wearing two masks. Isn't that theater?

— Rand Paul · March 18, 2021

At the May 11, 2021 HELP hearing, Paul pressed Fauci on NIH funding of the Wuhan Institute of Virology; Fauci stated that the NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research at the institute. CNN carried the exchange as a news segment.

Senator Paul, with all due respect, you are entirely and completely incorrect.

— Anthony Fauci · May 11, 2021

MSNBC's broadcast of the May 11, 2021 exchange, aired the following day, replaying Fauci's denial that the NIH funded gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

You are entirely and completely incorrect that the NIH has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute.

— Anthony Fauci · May 12, 2021

Forbes upload of Paul's May 11, 2021 opening statement and questioning on gain-of-function research, published under the title 'You're Fooling With Mother Nature.' Fauci closes by repeating that the NIH did not fund gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

At the July 20, 2021 HELP hearing, Paul asked Fauci to retract his May 11 statement, citing an NIH definition of gain-of-function research; Fauci declined and said Paul did not know what he was talking about. CNN carried the exchange as a news segment.

You do not know what you are talking about, quite frankly, and I want to say that officially.

— Anthony Fauci · July 20, 2021

Aaron Rupar's clip of the July 20, 2021 round, from Paul's retract-your-statement question through Fauci's resentment of the accusation that NIH-funded work was responsible for deaths. The clip was widely reposted on X.

I totally resent the lie that you are now propagating, Senator.

— Anthony Fauci · July 20, 2021

MSNBC package on the July 20, 2021 exchange, framing Paul's lying-to-Congress accusation and replaying Fauci's response at length.

I totally resent the lie that you are now propagating, Senator.

— Anthony Fauci · July 20, 2021

Aaron Rupar's second clip from the July 20, 2021 round: Fauci's closing answer, in which he describes Paul's questioning across hearings as a pattern.

This is a pattern that Senator Paul has been doing now at multiple hearings based on no reality.

— Anthony Fauci · July 20, 2021

Fox News package recapping the July 20, 2021 exchange the next day, pairing hearing footage with panel commentary on the NIH definition of gain-of-function research.

At the January 11, 2022 HELP hearing, Paul called Fauci the lead architect of the government's COVID-19 response and held him responsible for its results; Fauci answered that Paul's attacks kindled threats against him and his family, pointing to a 'Fire Dr. Fauci' fundraising page on Paul's website. CNN carried the exchange.

You are making a catastrophic epidemic for your political gain.

— Anthony Fauci · January 11, 2022

Acyn's clip from the same January 11, 2022 round: Fauci holds up a printout of the 'Fire Dr. Fauci' page on Paul's campaign website, with its contribution box, while arguing the attacks are made for political gain.

Forbes broadcast of Paul's January 11, 2022 round, in which he accused Fauci of engaging in personal attacks against fellow scientists, citing Fauci's email-era remarks about the Great Barrington Declaration authors.

This is the kind of ignorant sort of personal attacks that you've engaged in.

— Rand Paul · January 11, 2022

Jordan repeatedly pressed Fauci on whether the government should limit protests to slow the virus's spread, drawing a parallel to restrictions on church attendance; Fauci declined to opine on specific crowd categories, saying crowds without masks facilitate spread. The first major Jordan–Fauci clash, it set the template for later rounds. The Hill's upload carries the full round.

Jordan demanded a specific metric for when Americans 'get their freedoms back,' talking over Fauci until Fauci answered that the pandemic had killed 562,000 Americans. When Jordan continued past his time, Rep. Maxine Waters interjected: 'You need to respect the chair and shut your mouth.' Fauci stated restrictions could ease once daily infections fell well below 10,000. Forbes carries the full round.

You're making this a personal thing… we're talking about a pandemic that has killed 562,000 Americans.

— Anthony Fauci · April 15, 2021

Jordan confronted Fauci with his own February 2020 email correspondence about the virus's features and the lab-leak hypothesis, asking whether his public statements matched his private communications; Fauci maintained he kept an open mind and that the emails reflected normal scientific deliberation. The exchange grew heated, with Jordan raising his voice over answers he called evasive. Forbes carries the full round.

Marshall pressed Fauci to produce his financial disclosures, questioning whether he was invested in companies he regulated; Fauci answered that the disclosures are publicly available on request. After the exchange moved on, a hot mic captured Fauci's reaction. Marshall sent a follow-up letter demanding un-redacted disclosures; Fauci later produced the 2019 report publicly. Forbes carries the full exchange.

What a moron. Jesus Christ.

— Anthony Fauci (hot mic, after the exchange) · January 11, 2022

Kennedy asked Fauci point-blank whether the country did the right thing in shutting down society, and pressed him on whether he still supported school closures and lockdown policies in retrospect. Fauci defended the early-2020 recommendations while noting decisions were re-evaluated as data evolved. Forbes carries the full round.

Did we do the right thing in shutting down society?

— John Kennedy · May 17, 2022

In the same hearing, Braun asked Fauci whether the administration would take lockdowns off the table going forward and pressed him on NIH grant transparency. Fauci responded that future measures would depend on conditions and emphasized that the pandemic phase had changed. Forbes carries the full round.

Greene declined to address Fauci as 'Doctor,' displayed photos from the NIAID-funded beagle experiments, and told him he belonged in prison, suggesting a criminal referral. Ranking Member Raskin raised a point of order over her refusal to use the title; the chair ruled members may address witnesses as they choose. PBS NewsHour carries the full round, including the point of order.

You belong in prison.

— Marjorie Taylor Greene · June 3, 2024

McCormick, an emergency-room physician, contrasted his treating patients through the pandemic with Fauci's lack of hands-on COVID care, then played audio from Michael Specter's audiobook in which Fauci discussed making life hard for the unvaccinated. McCormick closed by accusing Fauci of destroying public trust through mandates. Forbes carries the full round.

Shame on you, Dr. Fauci — you've become Dr. Fear.

— Richard McCormick · June 3, 2024

Lesko grilled Fauci over the February 2020 email chain and teleconference preceding the 'Proximal Origin' paper, asking who directed the downplaying of the lab-leak theory; Fauci denied directing the paper's conclusions. The back-and-forth became visibly contentious over whether his denials matched the email record. Forbes carries the full round.

Cloud asked Fauci point-blank whether he still believed the COVID-era restrictions — school closures, masking, distancing — were justified given their documented harms. Fauci defended them as necessary at the time while acknowledging some measures, like six-foot distancing, lacked a controlled-evidence basis. Forbes carries the full round.