Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has raised concerns about the National Institutes of Health allegedly not sharing records with lawmakers, suggesting that the agency is more secretive than the Central Intelligence Agency or the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Paul’s remarks came in response to a question about whether Dr. Anthony Fauci should face prosecution in a potential second Trump presidency, as Fauci is scheduled to testify to Congress on Monday. The Kentucky senator emphasized his desire for former President Donald Trump to ensure access “to all of the records” from the NIH.
“At present, the NIH is withholding records; they’re withholding records more so than the CIA or the FBI,” Paul stated on Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. “They have completely withheld all records regarding the decision-making process on whether or not this research was dangerous or gain of function. So I hope Trump will open the books. I hope Trump will say, ‘you can look at everything’ and that my committee will be allowed to investigate this thoroughly because we’ve been hampered by the Biden administration.”
I joined @MariaBartiromo on @SundayFutures to discuss Fauci’s upcoming hearing. Fauci lied. He committed a felony. It’s clear there was a massive cover-up from the beginning. pic.twitter.com/KTcWDesqF8
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) June 2, 2024
Paul suggested that if Trump supported the investigators speaking with Fauci, it could significantly appeal to voters seeking answers about the COVID-19 lockdowns and the rationale behind them.
Addressing whether Trump could still win the election despite his recent guilty verdict, Paul commented that the verdict marked “a sad day in America,” expressing concern about a matter “bigger than Donald Trump.” He noted that 50% of people worry that the legal system could be used against them based on their political beliefs.
Fauci’s testimony, as the former director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, follows revelations that he reviewed no scientific evidence behind the recommendations for masking children or maintaining six-foot social distancing during the pandemic. Fauci himself confirmed this during a closed-door interview session in January before the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
Fauci’s congressional hearing will be chaired by Brad Wenstrup (R-OH), the head of the subcommittee. This will be Fauci’s first public hearing since retiring in December 2022.
