Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appeared before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on Wednesday. And offered nothing. Despite having been granted a pardon in January 2025 by then-outgoing President Joe Biden, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment throughout the entire hearing, a total of 111 times. That wasn’t to say there weren’t some memorable moments, however, especially from Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio. Moreno called out Fauci and the Democrats who defended him while explaining how Fauci’s draconian policies motivated him to run for office. He ran in 2024 and ousted Sherrod Brown, then the Democratic incumbent. The senator described how a family was arrested for daring to watch a football game outside without masks. “They were dragged out of that stadium and arrested,” Moreno somberly explained. “Those policies were put in place because you had moronic politicians that listened to the words of a megalomaniac who was more interested in having met a Kardashian than the suffering of the American people, and that is you,” he emphasized to Fauci. “Your advice to communities like that, to idiotic politicians to enforce those rules, arrested that mom for watching a football game, with her own family, outside.” “When that story broke, I said to myself, ‘I cannot stand idly on the side and watch this happen.’ It was about six years ago today that I decided I’m going to give up my businesses, sell them all, run for office, run for the United States Senate, and here I am sitting in front of you, six years later, saying who the f— do you think you were for doing that?” Moreno demanded, wagging his finger at Fauci as he continued. He also called out the Democrats who defended Fauci, insisting “there is no defense of what [Fauci] did. You may have had a 50-plus year legacy of public service, but it ends in total and complete disgrace.” “Who the f— do you think you were?”: Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, slammed Dr. Anthony Fauci for advice he gave the public as part of the White House COVID-19 task force, accusing him of “being more interested in being a celebrity than saving American people.”More:… pic.twitter.com/Cjzc211Zzk— NewsNation (@NewsNation) July 29, 2026 Moreno gave Fauci an opportunity to apologize. “Will you apologize? Just apologize to the people who you harmed through your actions… do you have the dignity to just say you’re sorry?” Fauci instead responded by invoking the Fifth Amendment, which prompted Moreno to reference those harmed by COVID policies. He mentioned how Biden had “summarily dismissed” members of the military for not getting vaccinated, how businesses were lost and never recovered, how children as young as two years old were forcibly masked and the trauma they faced as a result, family members of those whose loved ones received the multiple booster shots that were not needed, and, that mom from Ohio. The senator began, however, by speaking about David Schertler, one of Fauci’s attorneys, who was ejected from the hearing by Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky. Chairman Rand Paul just had security remove Dr. Fauci’s attorney from the hearing room for being “unruly” and interrupting the hearing without being recognized by the chair“He has a valid 5th amendment privilege and he has the right to assert it and that’s what I was trying to… pic.twitter.com/WeMAyCmqsn— Virginia Grace McKinnon (@virginiagmck) July 29, 2026 “He’s a high-profile criminal attorney,” Moreno said of Schertler, referencing how “he’s represented some really great people like Senator Bob Menendez.” Moreno also recounted how the Washington Free Beacon Schertler as a fixer who, “if you’re in deep s—, that’s who you call.” “Do you feel like you’re in deep s—,” Moreno asked Fauci. Again, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment. “Clearly, what you think today is that somehow you’re above reproach,” continued Moreno. “Somehow you feel like you don’t need to be treated like a normal American.” Moreno also called upon those witnessing the hearing to “stand up if during the time of the COVID pandemic you were called a racist for calling the virus the Wuhan virus or the China virus? If you thought the six-foot rule was total crap. If you thought the vaccine wasn’t something you should take. If you thought it was outrageous the way the mask policy was rolled out. If you were fired from your job for not taking the vaccine, including members of the military. If you thought closing schools was catastrophically stupid and that you thought that during these times that saying these things made you somehow a lesser human being.” With many audience members standing him, Moreno asked Fauci if he could “just turn around and look at the people behind you?” When no such action was made on Fauci’s part, Moreno pointed out that he was “not willing to do that.” This morning, I gave Anthony Fauci the chance to do something simple: turn around, look at everyone he hurt with his lockdowns, vax mandates, and mask mandates, and apologize.He wouldn’t even look at them. What a disgrace, but Democrats still slavishly defend him. Pathetic. pic.twitter.com/fbfd6OzlwE— Bernie Moreno (@berniemoreno) July 29, 2026 “All you have to do is look up from your lawyers and look at the people who were absolutely shamed for saying what we know now to be the truth,” the senator emphasized. “You can’t even look at ’em?” Moreno continued, which Fauci still refused to answer. As the exchange came to a close, Moreno informed how it was James Madison who wrote the Fifth Amendment, noting, “I can only wonder what he would think of somebody like you invoking his writings to shield culpability for the actions that you took.”