Senator Moreno Criticizes Fauci During Senate Hearing

Republican Senator Bernie Moreno defended his use of an expletive when addressing Dr. Anthony Fauci at a Senate hearing on Wednesday. Fauci, the former leader of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, was called to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The committee is led by Republican Senator Rand Paul.

Paul has repeatedly accused Fauci of lying about COVID-19’s origins. Fauci has denied these allegations in past hearings. On Wednesday, he invoked the Fifth Amendment, refusing further questions. Despite a 2025 pardon from then-President Joe Biden, some Republicans suggested Fauci might still face charges for potential perjury during the hearing.

During the hearing, Senator Moreno confronted Fauci over his refusal to respond. Moreno, an Ohio Republican, shared that his decision to pursue office was influenced by a 2020 incident where a woman was arrested for not wearing a mask at a school event.

“Here I am sitting in front of you six years later, saying, who the f*** do you think you were for doing that? It is a total disgrace what you did to this country,” Moreno stated.

Later, on The Scott Jennings Show, a conservative radio program, Moreno justified his comments.

“That was me being nice, by the way,” Moreno told Jennings. “That was holding back, trying to be polite, given the respect that I have for the office, for the institution. But the reality is, this guy did enormous harm to a lot of people, millions of people.”

Moreno argued that Fauci should face contempt charges for not answering questions.

“I believe what he did today was contempt of Congress, and I hope we hold a vote on that soon and hold him in contempt,” he said. “This guy’s got to be held accountable. People paid a price, he needs to pay a price.”

Senator Paul announced that the committee will vote next week on the possibility of holding Fauci in contempt. He did not specify if he would advocate for a criminal contempt referral or another charge.

This story is ongoing. Updates will follow.