Republican Senator Josh Hawley criticized Dr. Anthony Fauci after Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment during a congressional hearing concerning his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By invoking the Fifth Amendment, Fauci declined to answer questions that could potentially expose him to allegations of perjury. Although former President Joe Biden granted Fauci a pardon in early 2025, some Republicans argued that the pardon would not necessarily protect him from prosecution for any false statements made under oath during the hearing.

Hawley later shared video clips from his questioning of Fauci on social media. He said he asked Fauci simple questions, including the day of the week, the color of his tie, and the color of the carpet in front of him, and stated that Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment each time.

Hawley argued that an honest person would not invoke the Fifth Amendment.

The article notes that President Donald Trump also invoked the Fifth Amendment extensively during a 2022 deposition in the New York Attorney General’s civil fraud investigation involving the Trump Organization. It also states that Eric Trump and former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg invoked the same constitutional protection numerous times during depositions connected to that investigation.

The article further references remarks Trump made during a 2016 campaign rally in Iowa, where he questioned why an innocent person would invoke the Fifth Amendment.

According to the article, Hawley’s comments drew criticism on social media, with critics pointing to what they viewed as an inconsistency between his criticism of Fauci and his party’s response when Trump and other Trump Organization figures invoked the same constitutional right.