Moreno Unleashes Profanity-Laced Criticism of Fauci at Congressional Hearing on COVID Response

Republican Senator Bernie Moreno of Ohio delivered a heated rebuke of Dr. Anthony Fauci during a Wednesday congressional hearing, punctuating his remarks with profanity as he condemned the former chief medical advisor’s role in pandemic policy. Fauci, who served under President Joe Biden and became the federal government’s primary spokesperson throughout the COVID-19 crisis, faced questioning as part of a Republican-led investigation into the pandemic’s origins and the nation’s response.

The hearing was convened under subpoena issued by Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, who chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Paul and Republican colleagues have maintained that Fauci misled Congress and the public regarding the virus’s origins, federal funding for research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, and the nature of gain-of-function research designed to study pathogen transmissibility.

Moreno directly challenged Fauci over policies including mask mandates, social distancing requirements, and school closures, asserting these measures caused significant harm to Americans. He cited the case of an Ohio mother arrested for declining to wear a mask at an outdoor high school football game, describing the enforcement as the act of “moronic” politicians executing Fauci’s guidance.

When Moreno asked whether Fauci would apologize to the American people, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment. Over the course of the hearing, Fauci invoked this constitutional protection more than 100 times to avoid answering lawmakers’ questions, drawing calls from some Republicans for contempt charges.

Moreno requested that audience members who faced negative consequences for questioning government COVID guidelines stand and face Fauci directly. Several attendees complied, though Fauci declined to turn around to acknowledge them. Moreno also criticized Fauci for what he characterized as prioritizing celebrity interactions, specifically referencing a Zoom call with Kim Kardashian and other public figures.

Conservative commentators and Trump administration officials quickly praised Moreno’s exchange on social media. White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung described Moreno’s questioning as “a high-heat fastball,” while Fox News contributor Joe Concha called for Fauci’s incarceration.

Republican congressional candidate Jace Yarbrough, an Air Force veteran, thanked Moreno for his confrontation, noting he was among service members removed from duty for declining the COVID-19 vaccine. David Schertler, Fauci’s attorney, dismissed Moreno’s criticism in a statement to Fox News Digital, declaring the senator “completely wrong.”