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Hot mic catches Fauci calling GOP senator ‘a moron’

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 11: Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House Chief Medical Advisor and Director of the NIAID, testifies at a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on January 11, 2022 in Washington, D.C. The committee will hear testimony about the federal response to COVID-19 and new, emerging variants. (Photo by Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)

(The Hill) – White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci was caught on a hot mic Tuesday calling Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) “a moron” during his testimony before the Senate Health Committee on the omicron variant of the coronavirus.  

The tense exchange came as Marshall questioned Fauci about disclosing more of his personal finances to Congress. Marshall cited a Forbes story that reported that Fauci is the highest-paid federal employee, earning $434,312 in 2020. 


“I don’t understand why you’re asking me that question,” Fauci said. “My financial disclosure is public knowledge and has been so for the last 37 years or so.”

“The big tech giants are doing an incredible job of keeping it from being public,” Marshall responded. “We’ll continue to look for it. Where would we find it?” 

“All you have to do is ask for it,” Fauci said. “You’re so misinformed, it’s extraordinary.” 

After the back-and-forth ended, Fauci could be heard muttering, “What a moron” and “Jesus Christ” in a clip tweeted by Mediaite. 

What appeared to be an exasperated response from Fauci came amid a tense day of questioning from Republicans on the Senate health panel. 

Fauci also clashed with Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) about the senator’s personal attacks against him. Fauci said Paul’s attacks put him and his family in danger, citing a recent incident in which police arrested a man with a firearm who claimed that he was traveling from Sacramento to Washington, D.C., in order to “kill Dr. Fauci.”

The man was reportedly in possession of an AR-15 and carried with him a “kill list” that included President Biden and former Presidents Clinton and Obama.