Top 10 takeaways from Anthony Fauci's hearing in front of Senate committee

Former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci appeared in front of the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday, where he was grilled about his work during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The former NIAID director refused to answer lawmaker questions throughout the hearing, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, despite having a presidential pardon that covered his work during the pandemic.

Despite Fauci's refusal to answer questions, the hearing was filled with major revelations and accusations.

Here are the top 10 major takeaways from the Senate hearing:

1. Fauci applied for government grants for himself/got government employees to do it for him 

Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley revealed during the hearing that Fauci allegedly used federal employees while he was NIAID director to apply for government grants on his behalf for his work during the pandemic.

"You got rich while people were dying," a heated Hawley said. "You were using federal employees with taxpayer money to apply for and solicit cash prizes for you personally. Cash prizes totaling over a million dollars."

Hawley said he has evidence of the applications for cash prizes that Fauci received, including the Dan David award and the Smithsonian award.

"You actually wrote to people and said, 'Do you think maybe I'd qualify?' And you got cash for all of this. And it wasn't just one or two employees, was it? In fact, you used eight separate federal employees on federal time using federal resources to solicit cash awards. Isn't that true?"

Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment in response.

2. Ron Johnson alleges Fauci covered up evidence ivermectin works

Wisconsin GOP Sen. Ron Johnson accused Fauci during the hearing of covering up alleged evidence that the controversial prescription drug medication ivermectin actually is effective against the coronavirus.

“You said there was no evidence," Johnson said. "There were all kinds of evidence. Loved ones had to go to hospitals, had to sue hospitals ... So I want to know, to what extent were you involved in sabotaging Hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin?”

Johnson highlighted studies that found there were 60-70% effectiveness rate against the virus. Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment again in response.

3. Moreno asks why Fauci hired a criminal defense attorney

Ohio GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno questioned why Fauci would hire a prominent criminal defense attorney if he had done nothing wrong when it came to the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that the attorney was someone a client hires if they are in "deep s***." 

"Let me tell you who David Schertler is for the audience," Moreno said. "He's a high-profile criminal attorney. He's represented some really great people like Senator Bob Menendez ... And there's an article here in the Washington Free Beacon that talks about why you would hire a guy like David Schertler. The comment is, 'if you're in deep s***, that's who you call.'"

4. Rand Paul confirms plans for Fauci contempt vote

Another top moment related to the hearing comes after Senate Homeland Security Chairman Rand Paul confirmed that he plans to hold a contempt vote against Fauci for pleading the Fifth in order to dodge answering the panel's questions.

"We believe... he didn't need to hide behind the 5th Amendment and that maybe the 5th Amendment doesn't attach when you have a pardon in place," he told reporters. "The question on contempt will be voted on and then there's the question of whether or not the Department of Justice will take that up."

5. Senators question legality of 5th amendment plea

Several senators also questioned whether Fauci could even plead the Fifth since he was pardoned by former President Joe Biden before he left office last year.

"You don't have any rights under the Fifth Amendment, because you've been pardoned, as you very well know," Hawley said. "As the Supreme Court has been clear for a century or more. Brown vs. Walker, 1896, 'when he has been pardoned he may not stand upon his privilege.'

"You know that. Your lawyers sitting behind you now, shifting nervously in their chairs, they know it. This isn't about the Constitution, this isn't about the law," he continued. "This is about contempt, contempt for this body and contempt for the American people."

6. Rick Scott tells Fauci how lockdowns hurt his own family

Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott also heavily criticized Fauci in his speech, highlighting how the former NIAID director's policies and guidance hurt the American health industry and even his own children and family.

"I have daughters with children. You cannot imagine the questions they have surrounding vaccines for their kids and themselves, and the unbelievable pressure to make the right decision for their health," Scott said. 

"I can tell you that pregnant women who worked with me were so scared. Every time they went to go to the doctor, they were told something different about taking a vaccine," he continued. "You caused [the fear]."

Scott claimed Fauci was responsible for destroying the trust in American medicine and accused him of lying to Americans amid the public health crisis just to enrich himself.

"You forced people to watch their loved ones die alone over the phone," Scott said. "It's disgusting. You destroyed the federal government's credibility when it comes to public health."

7. Hawley claims Fauci wanted to be 'Sun god of science'

Hawley also accused Fauci during his time in front of the former NIAID director of chasing fame and power beyond just wealth.

"Through all of this, you want to be the most famous scientist in the world," Hawley said. "You were so focused on getting every award and every drop of cash that you could, all because you wanted to be on TV. 

"You wanted to be the sun god of science," he continued. "You wanted to be the guy who was in charge of it all. You wanted to lambast Trump. You wanted to make sure that nobody else stole your spotlight. You wanted to be the guy."

The senator emphasized that Fauci sat for interviews with InStyle Magazine and received money but could not answer questions for the American people in front of Congress. 

"Somewhere along the way, you lost your way," he lamented. "You may have been a good public servant at one time, I don't know, but I can tell you from reading your emails now, from looking at what you did, how you used your employees. Somewhere along the line, it became all about you.

"You called yourself the most famous scientist in the world," Hawley added. "You've done more to harm science than anybody in my lifetime."

8. Paul presses Fauci on alleged deletion of federal records

Paul pushed Fauci about whether he lied in 2024 when he testified that he never deleted any federal records after his former assistant admitted to deleting records and after evidence showed he directed others to do the same. 

"It is a crime to destroy federal records, yet our investigation reveals your assistant diligently reported that she deleted tons of emails," Paul said. "In 2024, you testify that you did not delete federal records. Who's telling the truth, you or your assistant? 

"The committee has obtained repeated instructions from you telling federal officials to delete communications," he stated. "On February 2nd, 2020, one day after the origins call, you told Francis Collins, 'please delete this email after you read it.' The committee asked for your voluntary cooperation to come today. Your appearance had to be compelled by subpoena."

9. Fetterman regrets partisanship over lab leak theory

Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman admitted to Fauci that he regretted believing the man's lies that denied the lab leak theory and that the prominent Republican theory that the virus emerged from a lab seemed to be true.

"Early on that became like a right-wing kind of theory, and I thought it seemed to make sense," he said. "There was a really advanced lab that was close by, and then you have this unknown virus out. That became a very partisan thing, and now it seems it's more and more emerging theory that that would have come from the lab."

Fauci has pushed the "wet market" theory when it came to the origins of the virus, which held that COVID-19 was a naturally occurring virus, and that it did not come out of the lab.

10. Fauci's lawyer booted from the hearing

A final high-profile moment in the heated hearing was when Paul had Fauci's lawyer removed from the hearing after he tried to make a statement on his client's behalf. 

Paul said the attorney was allowed to counsel his client but could not testify and that Fauci had a "half-dozen other" attorneys in the room. When the attorney tried to speak again, he was removed by a security guard.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.