POLITICAL THEATER

Anthony Fauci Pleads the 5th

Welcome to the Rand Paul Show — three hours you’ll never get back

Anthony Fauci and Sen. Rand Paul faced off in the Senate chamber. | Image Courtesy of ChatGPT

Sen. Rand Paul trapped his white whale, his “unhinged obsession.” An 85-year-old retired government official. Tiny hand clap.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, forced to testify.

“You are here today under duress. You are here today because of the court ordering it.” — Sen. Rand Paul

Well, duh! Think Fauci would rather be on a beach somewhere.

Before his testimony. Paul released hundreds of pages of Fauci’s private notes that were on a government server. Lesson for future government workers. Don’t write notes on a government computer.

It’s another rehash of the hearings Fauci already testified at. Just the regime’s latest attempt in rewriting history. This was a shit show. Republicans showed off their science jargon. They brought their props. Binders, piles of paper, charts, large poster boards, and videos.

Wuhan lab. Aborted baby body parts. Gain-of-function. If we never hear the term GAIN OF FUNCTION ever again, it’ll be too soon.

As Republicans tell it, Fauci gave advice that was deadly. Advice from ONE individual. Fauci was the face of the pandemic. Not by choice. He was accused of sabotaging Hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin. Think science sabotaged the drugs. They weren’t effective.

Fauci’s a narcissist. A megalomaniac. A liar. He was accused of getting rich while people were dying. That’s rich coming from politicians.

Fauci flips Senate Republicans a symbolic bird

With a big slap in the face to Sen. Paul and Republicans, Fauci refused to engage. He declined to answer questions. Fauci’s lawyer wanted to engage though.

Paul didn't appreciate it. First, the lawyer dared to speak, much less sit next to Fauci. Guess that’s a NO, NO in Congress. He wasn’t invited to testify and he was out of order. So he should shut up! Sir, you are NOT recognized! SECURITY! The Capitol Police escorted him out of the hearing.

Sen. Bernie Moreno had an opinion about the lawyer. “It’s no secret why you have to hire the BIGGEST DIRT BAG attorney on the planet because of what you did . . . I hope you are paying that DIRTBAG WELL.”

Who’s calling who a “dirtbag?”

• A female former dealership worker alleged Moreno repeatedly belittled her about being a mother. She approached him about her flex time arrangement. He said, “Lots of people are single parents, put your kids in f—-ing daycare.”

Dirtbag Moreno asked Fauci if he felt like he was "in deep shit’ and said —

“Here I am sitting in front of you six years later saying who the FUCK do you think you were for doing that?” TOTAL DISGRACE!

LANGUAGE!

Moreno wanted Fauci to apologize. TO EVERYONE! military members, business owners, moms, etc. How about Moreno apologize to the world for being a Trump sycophant.

Fauci had only one response

Republicans tried. But after every question. For almost three hours, he pleaded the fifth. Again and again.

“On the advice of counsel I respectfully decline to answer based on my rights under the fifth amendment of the Constitution.”

Why? Because he believed Paul and his fellow Republicans would trap him. Wrongly with perjury charges. That’s also why childish Sen. Hawley spoke to Fauci like an a$$hole. He asked him what day it was. What color are you wearing? The color of the carpet.

Hey Josh! What color were you wearing when you pranced out of the Capitol on January 6? He also accused Fauci of harming science and wanting to be “the SUN GOD of science.” WTF?

Moreno mockingly asked Fauci what the 5th Amendment says and who wrote it.

Sen. Maggie Hassan called it out. She said to Fauci, “It must be enormously frustrating to know that this hearing is designed to entrap you.”

Fauci smarter than Rand Paul? | Courtesy of Bluesky

Republicans bullied and relitigated

Hypocritical Sen. Hawley bellowed, “This is about contempt. CONTEMPT for this body and contempt for the American people. But I think I know why you're doing it . . . Because you did all kinds of terrible things.”

Contempt! Sure. Like most people have for Donald Trump. And do YOU HAVE PROOF OF THOSE “TERRIBLE THINGS?”

Republicans relitigated masks and social distancing. Florida Sen. Ashley Moody was more interested in a personal agenda. “You called our governor, Governor DeSantis ‘a total jerk.’” Fauci got that right.

If you believed Republicans, Fauci was running the country. And Trump and Congress were on vacation during Covid.

Those gosh darn diaries

Fauci is human. He made mistakes. But he didn’t tell people to inject bleach. Paul weaponized his unredacted personal notes.

“Given Senator Paul’s obvious OBSESSION for my prosecution, his repeated slanderous comments about me, and recently his publicly releasing my unredacted personal diary, aimed at embarrassing and intimidating me . . .”

Sen. Ron Johnson declared, you lied to your own diary. While Republicans demonstrated they could read.

“It is not hyperbole to say that today I am the most FAMOUS and talked about person in the country and one of the most RECOGNIZABLE" — Anthony Fauci

Crucify Fauci! He wrote the truth. He’s famous.

“The Press still HOT and heavy about me. Multiple stories per day directly or indirectly involving me.”

Throw him in jail! He sounds like Trump! He sounded more like the Narcissist-in-chief when he wrote, “One person said that Tyra was very SEXY but that I was even more SEXY than she was.”

It's not as cringey as Trump and grab ‘em by the pussy.

Fauci’s grand inquisitor, Rand Paul

Paul began with a 13-minute opening statement. He wanted Fauci to ask for “forgiveness.” He held Fauci solely responsible for the shutdowns and lockdowns. As well as family separations and millions of deaths during Covid.

It was a rambling mess of lies and half-truths. Can someone please object? Right. Paul threw his lawyer out.

Fauci had more power than government officials and God. And just to remind everyone Fauci worked for President Donald Trump. He even praised Fauci. He’s been doing a very good job.

Paul speechified. He asked questions. He squawked about conflicts of interest. That’s rich considering his buddy Donny Trump is a walking, talking, conflict of interest.

Paul disparaged him. “You are not a HERO. You are a villain.”

He has called for him to be fired, arrested, prosecuted, and jailed. "I want to give him a subpoena and a jail cell.” Yeah! You won’t jail an 80-year-old but you’ll throw an 85-year-old in the slammer.

Sen. Paul wanted a show. | Image Courtesy of Bluesky

Sen. Paul is a hypocrite — does he hear himself?

• “It is arrogance that destroys trust. It is censorship that destroys trust and it is the refusal to admit error that destroys trust.”
• “NO government official is beyond accountability.”
• “NO public servant has the right to treat suffering of millions of Americans as a footnote to his preferred person of history.”
• “A party may protect a person from criminal prosecution, but does not rewrite history. It does NOT erase documents . . . “

Paul declared it’s a crime to destroy federal records. Really? Has Trump ever been charged for flushing documents down the toilet? Oh forgot. He’s immune.

Everything was Fauci’s fault! Sen. Ron Johnson called him a criminal. “Covid lockdown could never have been INFLICTED without you AIDING and ABETTING the crime.”

Democrats didn't waste time asking questions. They said Thank You. They wanted to know about measles. Food borne parasites. Why are there fewer grants?

They wanted Republicans to explain Medicaid cuts and cuts to the Affordable Care Act.

Let’s praise public health officials, not tear them down

Republicans accused Fauci of destroying public trust in public health. A flippant Sen. Rick Scott, exclaimed HEY DOC! Then blamed him for the loss of public trust in the government. Yeah, don't think the public needed Fauci’s help.

“All the evidence is right here and you still can’t bring yourself to tell the truth or apologize because you received an AUTO PEN PARDON from a staffer in the Biden White House.”

A dig at former President Biden. Time to turn you off!

Sen. Richard Blumenthal countered Scott. “Dr. Fauci has SAVED LIVES, as have public health officials in the United States and throughout the world. Today, we are demeaning and degrading their lifesaving service.”

Conclusion

Sen. Paul wasted three hours crucifying Fauci. He also slyly promoted his anti-vaccine agenda and natural immunity.

“We could have used natural immunity as somewhat a block of protection . . . We just don't quite understand natural immunity."

So, if it were up to Republicans we would've had no covid vaccine and hoped for natural immunity.

Paul gave Fauci one last chance to say something. But he refused to take the bait. But Biden gave you immunity!

Fauci still wouldn't answer questions. Knowing this Congress and this president, they’d find a way to put him in jail even if he tells the truth.

What’s next?

Paul threatened to hold Fauci in contempt of Congress. SHOCKING!

“The chairman has denied your assertion of privilege and directed you to answer. You nonetheless refuse and stand on privilege, despite the existence of the PARDON. The committee will have to consider after the hearing what actions should be taken . . .”

A pardon only covers past acts. It does not protect a person from persecution er prosecution for ongoing or future crimes. Hmmm . . . like lying under oath. And Fauci could face state charges. Gov. Ron DeSantis has already launched an investigation.

NOTE — Fauci invoked the 5th Amendment over 100 times. But let's be real. Republicans didn't want answers. They wanted their minutes of fame in front of the camera. Whether they came off as statesmen/women or clowns, is up for debate.