Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment in heated COVID-19 Senate hearing

What the report says

Al Jazeera, citing its staff and The Associated Press, reported that retired immunologist Anthony Fauci refused to answer questions at a US Senate hearing in Washington, DC, on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, relying on his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. Fauci, 85, appeared before the Republican-led Senate homeland security and governmental affairs committee chaired by Senator Rand Paul, a longtime critic of his pandemic-era role.

According to the report, Fauci said he was acting on legal advice because he feared his testimony could be used to pursue criminal charges. Paul argued in his opening remarks that Fauci should acknowledge mistakes related to US-funded virus research in China, while other Republicans, including Senator Josh Hawley, criticised Fauci for declining to respond. Fauci has denied claims that he lied about or concealed the origins of COVID-19.

The hearing revisited disputes that have followed Fauci since he led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the start of the pandemic and later served as chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden before stepping down in 2022. Al Jazeera noted that Biden had granted Fauci a presidential pardon, though critics have argued he could still face exposure if accused of perjury in future testimony.

The article also provided context on the wider origins debate: many scientists consider animal-to-human transmission the leading explanation, while Paul and Trump-aligned officials have promoted the possibility of a laboratory leak. Al Jazeera reported there was no new scientific evidence supporting that theory, and said a 2024 Republican-led inquiry did not find proof of wrongdoing by Fauci.