Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky says there is one thing Americans have never heard from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former face of the nation's COVID-19 response: an apology. As the two prepare to face off Wednesday before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Paul argued that Fauci's refusal to admit error over funding research in China has been a defining failure of his public career.
«I mean, I'd like to hear him say he's sorry,» Paul said. «Can he say he is sorry for funding — the research was dangerous research in China? Almost everybody agrees with that.» The hearing, chaired by Paul, marks the culmination of years of accusations against the former top infectious disease expert who served two administrations.
Paul has long contended that Fauci, while leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), approved funding for gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology — work that enhanced the transmissibility of viruses and may have accidentally triggered the global pandemic. Fauci has consistently denied wrongdoing, calling Paul's allegations «preposterous.»
In the lead-up to Wednesday's hearing, Paul released over 1,000 pages of Fauci's personal diaries, providing what he says is evidence of Fauci's motivations during the pandemic. Paul has posted color commentary online, accusing Fauci of lobbying for a $1 million prize while leading the COVID response.
«Now he says, 'Oh, well, it didn't meet this definition or this definition, it was dangerous research,'» Paul continued. «It was a judgment error. It was a profound judgment error.» Paul argued that an apology from Fauci could help the public heal, but that Fauci has never offered one. «No one's ever heard an apology from him,» Paul said. «All they hear is sort of the idea that he never did anything wrong and that there is nothing wrong with that.»
The senator has previously said that Fauci belongs in prison over his role in funding the research, and warned that a pardon from former President Joe Biden would not shield him from criminal liability. Notably, Fauci's former top advisor at NIAID, Dr. David Morens, was indicted earlier this year on charges of conspiring to evade public records laws, hide communications regarding the origins of COVID-19, and destroy federal records.
Paul also pointed to earlier gain-of-function research conducted by Dutch virologist Ron Fouchier, who in 2010 produced a version of H5N1 bird flu that could transmit between mammals. At the time, Fauci defended such research in a Washington Post op-ed, writing that «even if a pandemic should occur from a scientist being bitten or somehow infected, the knowledge is worth the risk.» Paul argued that this philosophy needs national debate. «Is the knowledge of creating viruses that could kill the world worth the risks?» he asked. «And I don't think it is.»
Fauci, who stepped down as NIAID director in 2022 and served as chief medical advisor to Presidents Trump and Biden, has largely stayed out of the public eye since then. Wednesday's hearing — held under subpoena from Paul — will be his first major public appearance in years. Lawmakers are expected to press him on what he knew about the virus's origins as the pandemic unfolded.
Former President Donald Trump weighed in ahead of the hearing, calling Fauci «crazy» on social media and accusing him of trying to protect China. Trump's comments echo Paul's longstanding criticisms.
The clash between Paul and Fauci has been years in the making, with Paul accusing Fauci of misleading Congress and the public. Fauci has maintained that his actions were guided by science and that his decisions saved countless lives. The hearing is likely to reignite the national debate over the origins of COVID-19 and the risks of gain-of-function research.
