Senator Rand Paul is back with a renewed push to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci accountable under the incoming Trump Department of Justice.
Just The News reported that on Monday, Paul announced his intent to reissue a criminal referral against Fauci, reigniting a long-standing battle over the handling of COVID-19 research and transparency.
This isn’t the first time Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, has taken aim at Fauci, the former public health figurehead who became a lightning rod for conservative criticism.
Back in 2021, Paul accused Fauci of misleading Congress about funding for gain-of-function research tied to the origins of the COVID-19 virus. It’s a charge that strikes at the heart of public trust in government science.
Fast forward to 2023, and Paul wasn’t done—he issued another referral as part of a broader probe into how the COVID-19 virus came to be. These aren’t just political stunts; they reflect a deep concern among many on the right that unelected officials like Fauci wielded too much unchecked power during the pandemic.
Now, in 2025, Paul is doubling down with a fresh referral to the Trump DOJ, signaling that the fight for answers isn’t over. “Today I will reissue my criminal referral of Anthony Fauci to Trump DOJ!” he declared on social media platform X. While some might call this a vendetta, others see it as a necessary push against what they view as bureaucratic overreach.
Let’s be clear: Paul’s allegations aren’t just about Fauci—they’re about whether the public was misled on a catastrophic scale.
If proven, lying to Congress isn’t a small infraction; it’s a breach of trust that conservatives argue has eroded faith in institutions. But the other side might say Fauci was just navigating an unprecedented crisis under intense scrutiny.
Adding fuel to the fire is the news of Fauci’s pardon, signed not by a personal stroke of the pen but by an autopen during the Biden administration.
The New York Times confirmed this mechanical signature, raising eyebrows among Trump and congressional Republicans. They argue it’s a symptom of deeper issues, pointing to claims of Biden’s mental decline during his tenure.
Former President Joe Biden defended the use of the autopen, saying, “We’re talking about a whole lot of people,” as reported by The New York Times.
But let’s unpack that—using a machine to sign clemency documents feels like a shortcut that undermines the gravity of such decisions. For many on the right, it’s another example of a detached, out-of-touch administration.
This autopen saga isn’t just trivia; it’s a symbol of what conservatives see as a broader pattern of diminished accountability in Washington. If a president isn’t even physically signing pardons, what else is being rubber-stamped without oversight? It’s a fair question, even if Biden’s defenders might argue it’s a practical necessity in a busy administration.
Paul’s latest move taps into a wider frustration among those who feel the COVID-19 era exposed flaws in how science and policy intersect.
Gain-of-function research, in particular, remains a hot-button issue, with many conservatives questioning why risky experiments were funded without clearer safeguards. The debate isn’t just academic—it’s about preventing the next global crisis.
Critics of Fauci argue that his role in shaping pandemic narratives often sidelined dissenting voices, a trend that clashes with the right’s emphasis on individual liberty.
Yet, it’s worth noting that Fauci’s supporters see him as a scientist caught in a political crossfire, not a villain. Balance demands we acknowledge both perspectives