Paul has repeatedly argued that Covid likely leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China, a theory the CIA backed last year.

At the hearing, the senator suggested that while Fauci had said publicly that Covid originated naturally, his diaries indicated that he privately believed the virus originated in a medical laboratory.

Republicans asked Fauci about the change in health guidance, which changed during the pandemic as health officials learned more about the disease. Fauci has previously defended his political positions.

But several Democrats came to Fauci’s defense, including Sen. Maggie Hassan, who said the hearing was “designed to trap him.”

Meanwhile, President Trump took to social media to call Fauci “crazy.”

“I said from the beginning that the virus came from the Wuhan laboratory in China. Fauci disagreed, always trying to protect China,” he said.

The World Health Organization said last year that the natural origin theory – the virus spreading from animals to people – was the idea “best supported” by available evidence, but that until more information emerges, the matter is “inconclusive.”

Fauci has faced death threats during and after the coronavirus pandemic. Last year, Trump eliminated his security protection.

The former top health official was one of the most trusted members of the US government during its response to the pandemic as scientists tried to learn about the virus as quickly as possible.

He wasn’t always at odds with Trump. In 2021, Trump awarded Fauci a Presidential Commendation for his work on the US Covid vaccine project, known as Operation Warp Speed.