Bernie Moreno

Dr. Anthony Fauci's Senate committee hearing turned heated after Sen. Bernie Moreno criticized the former public health official over his recommendations and response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the exchange escalating into profanity.

Moreno, R-Ohio, also criticized Fauci over a 2020 incident in Hocking County in which a mother was arrested after refusing to comply with a school policy requiring spectators to wear face coverings at her son's high school football game. Video of the encounter showed a school resource officer using a Taser before officers removed her from the game. Mask mandates, face-covering requirements and stay-at-home orders aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19 became major flashpoints during the pandemic.

Fauci led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for 38 years before retiring in 2022 and played a central role in the nation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But views of his handling of the crisis often broke along partisan lines, with many Americans and Republican politicians criticizing recommendations he supported, including mask mandates, business closures and school shutdowns.

"Who the f--k do you think you were for doing that?" Moreno asked of Fauci, referring to his recommendation for wearing masks and maintaining at least 6 feet of distance between people. Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during the exchange. Moreno called Fauci a "megalomaniac" and said that "moronic politicians" followed his advice. Moreno said it was that situation that sparked his decision to run for the Senate.

"It is a total disgrace what you did to this country," Moreno said, accusing Fauci of being more interested in being a celebrity than "serving the American people."

Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right several times during the July 29 committee hearing. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, threatened to pursue criminal charges against Fauci over his refusal to testify. Paul also ordered one of his attorneys from the room after the attorney refused to leave the table where Fauci was sitting.

"The attorneys are not recognized. In fact, the attorney was told not to sit at the table, and he's not obeying that recommendation," Paul said. "This is the way Anthony Fauci wants to be remembered: for a lawyer not listening to the rules."

"Security, please remove him from the room," the senator added.

More than 150 physicians, researchers and public health advocates signed a July 28 letter supporting of Fauci against what they called “ongoing vilification and harassment of many American scientists,” according to reporting from USA TODAY. The letter said the Trump administration and its allies in Congress are attacking scientific research and evidence-based public health.

Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at [email protected], at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.