5 highlights from Anthony Fauci's tense Senate grilling: 'Total and complete disgrace'

By Jon Brown, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, July 29, 2026

5. Paul promises contempt of Congress vote: 'History will judge'

Paul concluded the hearing by reiterating his belief that Fauci was violating the law by invoking the Fifth Amendment despite his presidential pardon, and said he expects the committee to vote next week on holding him in contempt of Congress, which would then go on to a full Senate vote.

"The chairman has denied your assertion of privilege and directed you to answer them, but you nonetheless refuse and stand on privilege despite the existence of the pardon," he said.

"The committee will have to consider after this hearing what appropriate action should be taken against you for the failure to testify after being directed to do so. It's against the law to obstruct an investigation of Congress."

"There will be repercussions to your refusal to testify today," he added.

Paul also leveled deeply personal reflections against Fauci in his closing remarks, calling the hearing "the capstone of Anthony Fauci's 40 years of abuse of power at NIH."

"In the end, [one] must imagine Fauci believes he got away with it. But still, late at night, even the guilty must become anxious, rerunning the scenarios through his mind, wondering, latching onto lingering doubts and worrying."

"Did his actions lead to the largest man-made plague in human history? Are the millions dead the result of his experiments or experiments that he approved that increased the pathogenicity of deadly viruses?"

"History will judge, but the facts as we now know them paint a sordid tale of dishonesty, misjudgment, and ultimately the hubris, the likes of which the world has rarely seen," he added before allowing Fauci to leave.

The U.S. Department of Justice would have to decide whether to pursue contempt charges against Fauci, which carry up to a year in prison and fines of up to $100,000.