It was not what was expected – the weaselly Anthony Fauci pleading the Fifth Amendment, protecting himself from self-incrimination – but it was more of an admission of guilt, ultimately, than if he’d simply confessed to creating the COVID-19 virus in his basement himself.
The Fifth Amendment reads, “No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.”
The relevant part, since Fauci was not in the military, is where no one “shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.” If you were robbing a bank at 3:00 on Tuesday, you can’t be compelled to tell the police where you were at that time, even if they can figure out other ways.
But Fauci can’t be charged federally with any crime at all, for anything, as long as it was committed from 2014 till January 19, 2025. He could “confess” to any federal crime and laugh about it for the rest of his miserable life. The only “crime” related to that time would be if he committed perjury while talking about it.
Of course, the pardon Joe Biden gave him removed all reason to even consider lying under oath, from a legal standpoint. But ego is something different.
Fauci would have to answer questions about awkward facts, facts he does not want the world to know or know his thinking at the time, and he didn’t want to do that.
Pleading the Fifth won’t stand up to a court challenge, but court challenges take time, and that’s what he’s counting on.
Anthony Fauci is 85; he’s not going to live forever. He knows this and isn’t counting on it; he’s counting on living long enough to see Democrats take back Congress. As the validity of his assertion of the 5th Amendment works its way through the legal system, there is an election coming up in November. If Democrats take the House and Senate, Fauci will never again face questioning under oath before Congress about anything of his previous lies.
Democrats will not call him up there to testify, and if they did, they wouldn’t put him under oath. You can’t be charged with perjury if you aren’t under oath. Anthony Fauci will have gotten away with it.
If Republicans hold at least one chamber, the game switches to one of delay for an even longer period of time. Remember, he’s got all the money he’s ever going to need in his final years; his reputation is what he’s protecting here. Judging by his diary entries, his ego is very hungry and needs to be fed constantly. His knowing it will continue to eat after he expires gives him comfort. That’s what he’s after.
Legacy is an odd thing; the closer you get to the end of life, the more you think about what will be here after you’re gone. Most people won’t have buildings and monuments; most people will never reshape the world. Your kids, grandkids, and whatever reputation that resonates is all there will be. Fauci will be in books for years; HOW he’s mentioned in them is what he’s playing for now.
It's futile; he will be forgotten inside of 20 years, no matter what. Quickly, name a medical pioneer who isn’t Jonas Salk; I’ll wait.
The fact of life is that very few people will be remembered a century after they’re gone, and very little about them will be remembered anyway. Life marches on. Whatever humiliation we think Anthony Fauci deserves, and he does, he will not be remembered long, but he also won’t be remembered well. Books have been written about his failures, and more will follow.
Anthony Fauci might be able to escape ever having to answer questions about his failures, but his legacy will not be able to avoid the taint of those failures. That may not be the justice we want, but it absolutely is the justice that will haunt whatever time is left in Fauci’s life, and that’s not nothing.
Derek Hunter is the host of the Derek Hunter Show on WMAL in Washington, D.C., and has a free daily podcast (subscribe!) and author of the book, Outrage, INC., which exposes how liberals use fear and hatred to manipulate the masses, and host of the weekly “Week in F***ing Review” podcast where the news is spoken about the way it deserves to be. Follow him on Twitter at @DerekAHunter.