Fauci’s appearance before Congress drew sharp criticism from conservative commentators after he repeatedly declined to answer questions under oath.
The former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself more than 100 times during testimony last Wednesday.
The Fifth Amendment protects individuals from being compelled to testify against themselves in any criminal case or proceeding.
Conservative commentators were swift to respond, describing the repeated invocations as disgraceful and demanding greater accountability from the former public health official.
Fauci served as one of the most prominent faces of the United States government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, appearing regularly alongside senior officials and presidents across two administrations.
His Congressional appearance marked a significant moment in ongoing efforts by lawmakers to scrutinise decisions made during the pandemic era, including policies around lockdowns, masking, and vaccine mandates.
The decision to invoke the Fifth Amendment so extensively drew immediate and intense reaction from Republicans on the committee, who argued it raised serious questions about transparency.
Critics argued that a public official who had spent years urging the American public to trust science and government guidance should face greater scrutiny and be willing to answer for his decisions.
Supporters of Fauci have argued that the Congressional hearings have been politically motivated, designed more to damage his reputation than to uncover genuine wrongdoing.
The hearings reflect a broader pattern of Republican-led investigations into pandemic-era decisions, with lawmakers seeking to hold officials accountable for policies that affected hundreds of millions of Americans.
The use of the Fifth Amendment by a high-profile public health figure in a Congressional setting is relatively rare and is likely to fuel continued debate about accountability in government.
Further testimony and investigative hearings are expected in the coming months as Congressional committees continue their review of pandemic-era governance and the decisions that shaped the federal response.