Rand Paul Threatens Dr. Fauci for Pleading the 5th Amendment During Hearing: ‘There Will Be Repercussions’

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) lit into his arch-nemesis Dr. Anthony Fauci during a Senate hearing on Wednesday, threatening “repercussions” for the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for invoking his constitutionally guaranteed right against self-incrimination.

“Dr. Fauci, would you like to at least answer this one question for us today and let us know whether or not you’ve changed your mind on whether or not the benefits of gain-of-function research outweigh the risks?” Rand asked as he ran out of questions amid Fauci’s refusal to answer.

“On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer, based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution,” Fauci replied.

“The chairman has denied your assertion of privilege and directed you to answer, but you nonetheless refuse and stand on privilege despite the existence of the pardon,” Paul shot back, adding:

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.

Paul has long argued that Fauci should see prison time, alleging he lied to Congress as far back as 2021.

“It’s a felony punishable by five years in jail,” Paul told Fox News host Sean Hannity in September of 2021, “I don’t think Biden Department of Justice will do anything with it, but … it is very dangerous to have public officials who we need to have trust in coming and lying to us. But he has lied dozens of times. Usually he tells us it’s for our own good.”

Fauci, for his part, accused Paul of having an “unhinged obsession” with him in his opening statement before the hearing and dismissed Paul’s hearing as political grandstanding.

Watch the clip above via MS NOW.

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