On Thursday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) once again used a Senate hearing to attack Dr. Anthony Fauci over the origins of COVID-19, only to be schooled by the nation’s top infectious disease expert.
Paul, who has been a fierce critic of Fauci, sparred with the top scientist over whether the National Institutes of Health funded “gain-of-function” research, the process of altering a pathogen’s transmissibility to help predict emerging diseases, at the Wuhan lab.
“The facts are clear, the NIH (National Institutes of Health) did fund gain-of-function research in Wuhan, despite your protestations,” Sen. Paul said.
Fauci denied Paul’s accusations, but Paul again attacked the scientist.
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“Until you accept responsibility, we’re not going to get anywhere close to trying to prevent another lab leak of this dangerous sort of experiment,” Paul said. “You won’t admit that it’s dangerous, and for that lack of judgment I think it’s time that you resign.”
Then Fauci fired back.
“You have said that I am unwilling to take any responsibility for the current pandemic. I have no responsibility for the current pandemic,” Fauci said. He went on to clarify that current evidence indicates that COVID-19 naturally occurred and that he continues to support research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Paul interrupted once again, saying, “if he’s going to be dishonest he ought to be challenged.”
“As usual, and I have a great deal of respect for this body of the Senate, and it makes me very uncomfortable to have to say something, but he is egregiously incorrect in what he says,” Fauci replied.
“History will figure that out on its own,” Paul retorted.
The origin of COVID-19 has been a subject of global debate since the start of the outbreak. Yet scientists around the world have not reached a clear conclusion on how the pandemic started. But Paul continues to suggest without evidence that the virus originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
The heated exchange comes two days after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended the COVID-19 vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech for children ages 5 through 11. The decision was in line with the Food and Drug Administration, which authorized emergency use of the pediatric dose on Friday.
Watch the video below.
Dr. Anthony Fauci just stuffed Rand Paul into an itty-bitty locker… https://t.co/T7HO9vweYw
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) November 4, 2021
