O’Reilly: Fauci ‘purely a swamp creature’

Senate O’Reilly: Fauci ‘purely a swamp creature’ Comments: by Finya Swai - 07/30/26 9:30 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Finya Swai - 07/30/26 9:30 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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Political commentator Bill O’Reilly blasted former chief White House medical adviser Antony Fauci following his hostile Senate hearing on Wednesday, where he invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times as Republicans aired their criticisms over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview with NewsNation’s “Katie Pavlich Tonight,” O’Reilly argued Fauci’s refusal to answer any questions during the three-hour long hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee was a strategy to avoid exposing himself to additional legal jeopardy.

“I hate to say this about an 85-year-old man who was in public service for 35 years, but Dr. Fauci is a weasel,” O’Reilly said. “The reason I say that is because he’s purely a swamp creature, purely somebody who uses his position to try to advance himself.”

O’Reilly pointed to a series of questions from Senators mocking Fauci for his refusal to answer a single question from lawmakers and repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) asked Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years: “What day of the week is it today?” knowing Fauci would not answer even the most innocuous questions.

“What color tie are you wearing? What color is the carpet in front of you?”

After each question, Fauci repeated his one-line response: “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.”

“He actually did look at the carpet when Hawley asked him about the carpet,” O’Reilly said.

The former Fox News host alleged Fauci’s attorneys instructed him to invoke the Fifth Amendment to prevent Republicans — many of whom accused him of being responsible for COVID-related deaths, vaccine injuries and destroying the public’s trust in the American health care system — from otherwise pursuing legal action.

While Fauci was pardoned by former President Biden on his final day in office for potential federal offenses between Jan. 1, 2014, and Jan. 19, 2025, his refusal to answer any questions could expose him to a Senate contempt vote.

“The instructions were, look, you got the blanket pardon from President Biden. If you go away from that, if you deviate out of the Fifth, they can make it a lot easier to bring you in on a contempt of Congress and other charges,” O’Reilly said. “So no matter what they do, you just say Fifth Amendment, Fifth Amendment.”