MS NOW Panelist Warns Fauci Pleading the Fifth Is ‘Setting the Playbook’ for Pardoned Trump Admin Officials

Anthony Fauci’s repeated invoking of his Fifth Amendment rights on Capitol Hill could be the future “playbook” for Trump Administration officials if Democrats take control of Congress, one journalist predicted.

Fauci cited his right against self-incrimination numerous times on Wednesday, and without flinching under questioning from Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and others about his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic in the wake of his private diaries being made public.

Appearing on Money, Power Politics with Stephanie Ruhle, Leigh Ann Caldwell, Washington correspondent for Puck, predicted Fauci’s use of the Fifth Amendment will come in handy for current administration officials should Democrats call them to testify years from now:

Yeah, it’s really interesting stuff. First, you know, this probably is a lot of PTSD for people. Covid was a really traumatizing time for a lot of people. It actually is a moment where distrust in the government really started to break through into the mainstream.

And I think that this is something that is reminding people about the polarization, the distrust of institutions and how things are, you know, just bringing people back to that moment.

But what’s really interesting about Fauci’s pleading the Fifth, I was thinking the entire time as he’s actually setting the playbook for when Democrats take control of Congress, either the House or the Senate, because Dr. Fauci was pardoned by President [Joe] Biden, given a preemptive pardon by the president.

But that does not mean that he can’t come before Congress. He came before Congress, despite his pardon, and decided not to answer questions, not to implicate him. That’s really a playbook that I can see moving forward, actually, when Democrats control and they decide to bring Trump administration officials before Congress.

The president has said he plans to pardon anyone who has come near the oval office. But that does not mean that Congress won’t get their hands on these people.

So it’s actually a really interesting dynamic that is that has a lot of meaning for the future. As far as Dr. Fauci specifically, he has said to media that this was proof that the the Trump Justice Department is weaponizing, you know, investigations and things and probes.

And so that is why he decided to plead the Fifth, in part because he did not want to give in to what he thinks is just, you know, and Donald Trump’s words, a witch hunt.

Watch above via MS NOW.

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