Dr. Anthony Fauci invokes the Fifth Amendment and declines to answer questions during a Republican-led Senate hearing on the COVID-19 pandemic. Multiple outlets report that Fauci appears before senators to address issues related to the origins of COVID-19 and the U.S. government’s handling of the pandemic, but he refuses to provide testimony by citing the right against self-incrimination. NBC News and other reports say he specifically frames the decision as a precaution to avoid the risk that answers could be used in potential perjury-related proceedings. NBC News also adds that in prepared remarks Fauci criticizes Sen. Rand Paul’s comments, calling them “unhinged.” Other coverage similarly describes Fauci’s refusal at the start of the hearing and his reliance on the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering questions. Across sources, there is broad agreement on the central event: Fauci does not answer senators’ questions and formally invokes the Fifth Amendment during the proceeding.