Andy Cohen, host of Bravo's 'Watch What Happens Live!', expressed frustration with Senate Republicans who questioned Dr. Anthony Fauci's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic on Capitol Hill. Cohen described the senators' actions as 'berating' Fauci and suggested their motives stemmed from jealousy of the doctor's ability to 'fix something.'
During his show on Wednesday, Cohen lauded Fauci as a "devoted public servant for 54 years" who led the federal response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic through PEPFAR, a program he credited with saving over 26 million lives globally. Cohen characterized the Republicans' questioning as a "war with science" and deemed it "deeply unserious and dangerous."
Cohen's remarks did not mention his own past partnership with Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company that developed a COVID-19 vaccine. In 2023, Cohen participated in an influencer campaign that included posts stamped with '#PfizerPartner' on Instagram. In one post, he encouraged followers to get an updated COVID-19 shot for protection against the virus and its variants, a message accompanied by disclaimers stating the content was "produced in partnership with Pfizer."
Senator Rand Paul, who has been a vocal critic of Fauci, has alleged that Fauci misled Congress and approved funding for research that may have contributed to the virus's spread. Fauci has consistently denied these claims, stating that his National Institutes of Health did not fund such research in China. During the hearing, Fauci stated that Paul's objective was to elicit a statement that would vindicate his public assertions of Fauci ending up "behind bars."
Cohen also commented on the ongoing debate surrounding the origins of COVID-19, acknowledging that theories include both laboratory incidents and natural zoonotic transmission. He noted that even Fauci's personal diary entries from early 2020 to 2022 showed uncertainty about whether the virus was engineered or leaked from a lab. More than six years after the pandemic began, the definitive origin remains unconfirmed.
Fauci is scheduled to face a contempt of Congress vote in a Senate committee next week. This follows his invocation of the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during the Wednesday hearing. The notes indicate that any potential crimes related to the hearing are not covered under President Joe Biden's blanket pardon for Fauci. Fauci has not been charged or convicted of any crimes.