Sen. Bernie Moreno uses expletive toward Dr. Anthony Fauci during Senate COVID-19 origins hearing

Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) used an expletive directed at Dr. Anthony Fauci during a Senate hearing on the origins of COVID-19 and the federal government’s response, according to a report from The Hill. The exchange occurred during the hearing Wednesday, when Fauci responded to questions by invoking his Fifth Amendment right, the outlet said.

According to The Hill, Moreno lobbed the remark at Fauci after asking questions connected to Fauci’s role during the early stages of the pandemic and the subsequent federal response. The report characterized the moment as including Moreno’s use of an expletive and Fauci’s decision to rely on the Fifth Amendment.

The Hill reported that Moreno also recalled a COVID-related arrest that he said occurred after he attended a football game, tying the incident to what he described as the government’s pandemic posture. Moreno’s account, as described by the outlet, tied his decision to run for elected office to what he learned about the arrest and the surrounding circumstances.

The hearing’s topic focused on competing questions about how COVID-19 began and how federal officials handled guidance, enforcement, and public messaging in the years that followed. Fauci’s invocation of the Fifth Amendment limited his ability to answer at least some of the specific lines of questioning presented by committee members, The Hill said.

The Hill’s report did not indicate that the Senate panel voted on any legislation during the hearing. Instead, the session functioned as part of the committee’s broader inquiry into the pandemic’s early timeline and the scope of government decision-making during that period, with the exchange highlighting disputes over what questions Fauci could be compelled to answer.

With Fauci relying on the Fifth Amendment during questioning, the practical effect of the hearing was to underscore the limits on testimony that can be forced in response to particular allegations or fact patterns. The outcome of the Senate review will likely depend on what additional records the committee seeks through subpoenas, document requests, and follow-on hearings, rather than the answers Fauci provided in the hearing itself.