Dr Anthony Fauci refused to answer questions during a tense US Senate hearing on the origins of Covid-19, invoking his right to remain silent as senators questioned him under oath.
Key facts
- Anthony Fauci, the former top US health official, refused to answer questions at a Senate hearing on Covid-19 origins.
- He invoked his right to remain silent while being questioned under oath.
- Fauci said he feared Republicans could try to trip him up and use his testimony to prosecute him for perjury.
- The hearing, reported on 29 July 2026, focused on the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Anthony Fauci, the former top US health official, refused to answer questions during a US Senate hearing on the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the BBC. Fauci invoked his right to remain silent as senators questioned him under oath.
The BBC reported that Fauci said he feared Republicans could try to trip him up and use his testimony to prosecute him for perjury. That concern, according to the outlet, was behind his decision not to answer the questions put to him.
Al Jazeera reported that Fauci pleaded the Fifth at the hearing, declining to answer questions about how the pandemic began. The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution protects individuals from being compelled to give self-incriminating testimony.
The BBC described the session as tense, with senators grilling the former official under oath on the pandemic’s origins. The hearing took place amid continued political scrutiny of how Covid-19 emerged.
The available reporting does not detail the specific questions asked, any conclusions reached by the committee, or Fauci’s responses beyond his refusal to answer. No further outcome from the hearing was reported in the sources.
Why it matters
The origins of Covid-19 remain a politically charged question years after the pandemic began, and Fauci was one of the most prominent US officials during the crisis. His decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment rather than answer keeps a central figure's account off the public record and signals the highly adversarial nature of the ongoing inquiry.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Fauci refuse to answer questions?
According to the BBC, Fauci said he feared Republicans could try to trip him up and use his testimony to prosecute him for perjury, and he invoked his right to remain silent.
What was the Senate hearing about?
The hearing focused on the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, with senators questioning Fauci under oath, according to the BBC and Al Jazeera.
What does 'pleading the Fifth' mean?
As reported by Al Jazeera, Fauci pleaded the Fifth, meaning he invoked his right to remain silent to avoid giving potentially self-incriminating testimony.