Sen. Paul to Newsmax: Fauci Must Testify, Retiring or Not

Whether or not Dr. Anthony Fauci retires any time soon, it's "important that he be examined and investigated under oath" about his role in gain of function research at the laboratory in Wuhan, China, which many believe to be behind the leak of the deadly COVID-19 virus, Sen. Rand Paul, who has crossed swords several times with the president's chief medical adviser, said on Newsmax on Thursday.

"I believe there's well over a 90% chance that this virus leaked from the lab in Wuhan that he was funding, and absolutely he needs to be examined over the possibility of a cover-up," the Kentucky Republican said on Newsmax's "National Report." 

Fauci has said he may step down as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases when President Joe Biden's first term ends, but he's not "retiring," even though he does not intend to be in his current position in January 2025, no matter who wins the 2024 election. 

But Paul on Thursday said he believes that in the early days of the pandemic, in January 2020, Fauci "orchestrated, through his colleagues, a cover-up of the link to the lab and that they in an organized fashion tried to misdirect the American public away from the lab because of their culpability."

Paul said Fauci, "had been an advocate of funding gain of function research and an advocate of funding the Wuhan lab, and he was in charge of making those decisions.

"I think it's very important that we examine him under oath, and I will do everything within my power to examine him by subpoena under oath. Whether he's in government or not, we will examine him."

Paul also spoke out about the news that Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic, who is a Serbian, will not be permitted to compete in the U.S. Open until he's fully vaccinated for COVID-19. 

"It's an absurdity," Paul said. "There's no science behind it. Djokovic has already had the COVID virus. His immunity is at least as good, but in all likelihood greater, than the vaccine, so they're banning perhaps the world's greatest tennis player at this point from America, not because he doesn't have immunity, but because he doesn't follow the state-sanctioned pseudoscience or political science."

Such rules are "Fauci and his maxims at its worst," said Paul. "Djokovic has as good immunity as anybody, in fact likely has better immunity than most of the vaccinated people in our country."

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