Dr. Anthony Fauci and Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul have repeatedly sparred in congressional hearings about the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic and Fauci’s possible role in it. In a 2021 Senate hearing Paul accused Fauci of lying. Paul has long alleged that the virus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, a laboratory funded in part by Fauci’s department. Fauci has maintained, as have many others, that the virus occurred naturally.
In July 2026, in advance of more congressional testimony, Paul released more than 1,000 pages of Fauci’s journal entries. When it came time to testify, Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, and Paul responded that there would be “repercussions” for his failure to testify. Days later the Senate Homeland Security Committee voted to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress.