Bernie Moreno Defends F-Bomb at Fauci Hearing: ‘That Was Me Being Nice’
Newsweek · C · trust 63/100
0 Share Newsweek is a Trust Project member See more of our trusted coverage when you search. Prefer Newsweek on Google to see more of our trusted coverage when you search. Republican Senator Bernie Moreno has defended using an expletive while speaking with Dr. Anthony Fauci during a contentious Senate hearing on Wednesday.
Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) who helped lead the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, was subpoenaed to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee by Senator Rand Paul , the Republican-led committee’s chairman.
Paul has for years accused Fauci of lying about the origins of the virus that caused the pandemic. In previous hearings, Fauci has denied the accusation. But on Wednesday, he invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answer further questions. Though he received a pardon in early 2025 from outgoing Democratic President Joe Biden, some Republicans had suggested he could still face charges for any perjury committed during Wednesday’s hearing.
At one point during Wednesday’s hearing, Moreno tore into Fauci as he declined to answer questions. The Ohio Republican said he had decided to run for office after learning a woman was arrested at a middle school football game in 2020 for refusing to wear a mask.
“Here I am sitting in front of you six years later, saying, who the f*** do you think you were for doing that? It is a total disgrace what you did to this country.”
In an appearance on The Scott Jennings Show, a conservative radio program, after the hearing, Moreno defended his remarks.
“That was me being nice, by the way,” he told Jennings. “That was holding back, trying to be polite, given the respect that I have for the office, for the institution. But the reality is, this guy did enormous harm to a lot of people, millions of people.”
Moreno also said he believes Fauci should be held in contempt for declining to answer questions.
“I believe what he did today was contempt of Congress, and I hope we hold a vote on that soon and hold him in contempt,” he said. “This guy's got to be held accountable. People paid a price, he needs to pay a price.”
Paul has said the committee will vote next week on whether to hold Fauci in contempt for declining to answer questions. He did not say whether he would push for a criminal contempt referral to federal prosecutors or another charge.
This is a developing story. More to follow.
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