Senator Bernie Moreno, Republican of Ohio, delivered a fierce verbal attack on Dr. Anthony Fauci during a Senate hearing on Wednesday, punctuated by an expletive that expressed his anger over the pandemic policies Fauci helped shape. The exchange quickly became a flashpoint on social media, reflecting the enduring polarization over the government’s response to COVID-19. Moreno spoke during a hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is investigating the origins of the virus and federal actions during the crisis.
Moreno’s frustration focused on the public health guidance promoted by Fauci, including mask mandates, social distancing recommendations, and school closures. The senator argued that these measures caused concrete harm to Americans, citing the case of an Ohio mother who was arrested for not wearing a mask at an outdoor high school football game. That incident, Moreno said, prompted him to leave his business career and run for the Senate. «When that story broke, I said to myself, I cannot stand idly on the side and watch this happen,» he told the hearing.
Turning directly to Fauci, Moreno demanded an apology for the American people. «Here I am sitting in front of you six years later saying, who the f—k do you think you were for doing that?» he said. «It is a total disgrace what you did to this country.» Fauci declined to answer, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Throughout the hearing, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times, refusing to respond to lawmakers’ questions about COVID-19 origins, federal funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and the nature of gain-of-function research conducted with U.S. support.
Committee Chairman Rand Paul, Republican of Kentucky, who subpoenaed Fauci for the hearing, has indicated he will seek contempt charges against the former chief medical adviser. Paul and other Republicans have long accused Fauci of misleading Congress about the government’s role in funding research at the Chinese lab where the virus first emerged. Fauci’s repeated use of the Fifth Amendment drew criticism from multiple senators during the hearing.
Earlier in his allotted time, Moreno called on audience members who had questioned the government’s COVID-19 guidelines to stand if they had been made to feel humiliated or had suffered consequences for noncompliance. People behind Fauci rose to their feet. Moreno asked Fauci to turn and face them, but Fauci refused. The senator also faulted Fauci for what he described as an obsession with celebrity culture, noting a Zoom call Fauci participated in with Kim Kardashian and other prominent figures during the pandemic.
Moreno’s remarks drew immediate praise from conservative commentators and former Trump administration officials. Fox News contributor Joe Concha wrote on social media that «Fauci should go to jail. Full stop.» White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung called the questioning «a high-heat fastball.» Jace Yarbrough, a Republican congressional candidate from Texas and an Air Force veteran, thanked Moreno directly, recalling the pressure placed on service members who refused the COVID-19 vaccine. «Many were removed from service, lost their livelihoods, or received career-ending reprimands simply for declining the shot,» Yarbrough wrote on social media. «Thank you @berniemoreno for taking this man to task.»
David Schertler, Fauci’s attorney, responded to Moreno’s outburst in a statement: «We have no comment on anything Senator Moreno had to say other than he is completely wrong.» The hearing underscored the lingering political fallout from the pandemic, which remains a deeply emotive issue for many Americans. Five years after the outbreak, questions about the government’s response continue to fuel partisan confrontation in Washington.
