Fauci to face Republican questions over Covid pandemic origins – US politics live

Fauci Scheduled to Testify Before Senate Committee on COVID-19 Origins

Senators on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs are scheduled to question Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, on the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. The hearing, led by committee chairman Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, centers on the hypothesis that the virus originated from a laboratory incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

Fauci, who advised Presidents Trump and Biden during the pandemic response and retired in 2022 after 38 years at NIAID, is appearing under subpoena. Paul has stated that the inquiry examines both pandemic origins and taxpayer-funded research practices. In prior statements, Paul has pointed to differences between Fauci’s private notes and public remarks on early discussions of viral emergence.

US intelligence assessments on the origins remain divided. The Department of Energy and the FBI have assessed a laboratory origin as likely, with varying confidence levels, while several other agencies have assessed a natural zoonotic spillover as more probable. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has noted that the overall community has not reached a consensus and that both hypotheses remain under consideration based on available data.

A letter signed by more than 150 infectious disease researchers and other scientists has described the charges against Fauci as lacking credible supporting evidence. The letter states that allegations of a cover-up, improper influence on other researchers, and personal financial interests in the virus have not been substantiated. It also references a period of threats directed at Fauci and his family following the pandemic.

Pardon Scope and Hearing

Former President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon to Fauci covering a broad range of potential federal matters from 2014 onward. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer stated that the pardon does not extend to Fauci’s upcoming congressional testimony. Comer said Americans continue to experience effects from decisions made during the pandemic and that false statements during testimony could result in accountability measures.

Released Journal Entries

Paul released more than one thousand pages of Fauci’s personal journal entries from the early pandemic period. Entries from February and March 2020 record Fauci’s contemporaneous notes on interactions with then-President Trump. One entry describes a late-night call in which Fauci advised against understating the situation’s severity for both public health and political reasons. Subsequent entries note continued public statements by Trump that Fauci viewed as downplaying risks, as well as concerns about the frequency of press conferences affecting work time.

The entries contain Fauci’s descriptions of Trump using terms such as “rambling,” “crazy,” “desperate,” “bumbling,” “incompetent,” “an idiot,” “a true embarrassment,” “totally nuts,” and “truly an obnoxious adolescent.” The journal material was released by the committee as part of its document production.

Additional Developments

President Trump met separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Trump described both meetings positively in social media posts without detailing specific outcomes. Zelenskyy later stated in an interview that Trump had agreed to permit Ukraine to produce its own Patriot air defense interceptors.

The Senate voted 86-12 to advance the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. Democratic senators indicated plans to seek removal of provisions granting expanded tariff authority. The Senate also confirmed Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence.

A White House official confirmed that teleprompter operator Gabriel Perez no longer works in the federal government following reports that he placed bets on prediction markets using knowledge of presidential speech content. The official did not specify whether the departure was a resignation or termination.

Court documents filed in a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the Los Angeles area include text messages from agents containing terms previously identified by Border Patrol guidance as slurs. The plaintiffs seek restrictions on stops based on race or socioeconomic status. Three of the plaintiffs were arrested at a bus stop while awaiting work transportation; a fourth described physical contact during questioning while identifying as a US citizen.

Scientists’ Public Statement

The letter from infectious disease experts and researchers urged members of Congress to end what it characterized as ongoing scrutiny of Fauci. It listed specific allegations—including claims that Fauci covered up origins information, influenced other scientists, held patents on the virus, or coordinated with intelligence agencies—and stated that no credible evidence supports these assertions. The letter also referenced documented threats and harassment directed at Fauci and his family over the preceding five years.

Fauci advised seven presidents across multiple public health events, including HIV/AIDS, Ebola, the 2001 anthrax incidents, and the earlier SARS-CoV-1 outbreak. He became a central public figure during the 2020 COVID-19 response.

The hearing is the second congressional appearance by Fauci on pandemic origins since his retirement. Committee proceedings are expected to focus on documents, emails, and funding decisions related to research conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology with partial US government support.