Fauci Pleads the Fifth 80+ Times, Contempt Vote Coming & Storm Owner Berates Teen Girls

The dominant story of the day is the long-awaited Senate showdown with Dr. Anthony Fauci — and it did not disappoint. Appearing under subpoena before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday, the former NIAID director invoked the Fifth Amendment in his opening statement and proceeded to plead it more than 80 times, refusing to answer questions about his COVID-19 actions despite holding a blanket pardon. Committee Chairman Rand Paul responded by announcing a vote next week on a resolution certifying Fauci in contempt of Congress, arguing the pardon renders Fauci's Fifth Amendment claims legally unsupported. The spectacle intensified when Fauci's attorney began grandstanding after Paul finished his questioning; Paul declared him "unrecognized," the attorney refused to comply, and Paul had him physically ejected from the hearing room — triggering applause from those in attendance.

A second major thread ran through the hearing as Senator Ron Johnson confronted Fauci with a massive printed stack of ivermectin studies, pointing out that on August 29, 2021 — the exact same day Fauci told CNN there was "no evidence" ivermectin was helpful against COVID — a publicly available website was tracking randomized controlled studies showing 60–70% efficacy for the drug. Johnson pressed Fauci on whether he was involved in coordinated efforts to undermine both ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, suggesting the goal was to preserve the emergency use authorization pathway for the mRNA vaccines by eliminating any claim that effective treatments already existed. Fauci invoked the Fifth on all of it.

These stories connect to a broader pattern visible across today's briefing: institutions and elites caught behaving badly and being held accountable by individuals willing to push back publicly. Just as Rand Paul forced a national reckoning with Fauci's pandemic record, Sophie Cunningham called out Seattle Storm co-owner Celeste Keaton by name after Keaton screamed profanities at teenage girls who showed up courtside simply holding handmade signs in Cunningham's support. Meanwhile, former Democrat fundraiser Evan Barker's new book reveals that the left's donor class — gathered at Tom Steyer's mansion — was openly celebrating the decision to write off working-class voters entirely. Across all three threads, ordinary Americans are the target, and high-profile conservatives are the ones refusing to let it slide.

Tomorrow, watch for the fallout from CENTCOM's release of footage from retaliatory strikes against Iran — Trump has vowed further action and the situation remains fluid. Also watch for any formal response from the Seattle Storm organization regarding co-owner Celeste Keaton's behavior toward the teenage girls, and monitor whether Fauci's legal team mounts a challenge to the legitimacy of next week's contempt vote in the Senate committee.