Fauci’s Phone Confiscated by Senate & the Propaganda Wars Continue | 8.7.26

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**John Bickley** (0:34)
Republicans in the Senate Homeland Security Committee vote to hold Dr. Fauci in contempt and now have a copy of his cell phone.

**Josh Hawley** (0:41)
This is the kind of thing that ought to be open and available for inspection when you have an investigation with potential criminal ramifications as this one does.

**Georgia Howe** (0:49)
What's next for Dr. Fauci and will the Justice Department pursue criminal charges?

**John Bickley** (0:54)
I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, August 7th. This is Morning Wire.

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And Trump dismisses media claims that the US has depleted its missile supplies and vows to hunt down leakers. We have plenty.

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Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted Thursday to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt. Now they say they have access to a copy of his iPhone.

**John Bickley** (1:47)
Joining us now to discuss the fate of Dr. Fauci is one of the senators on that committee, Senator Josh Hawley. Senator, thank you so much for joining us.

**Josh Hawley** (1:56)
Thank you for having me.

**John Bickley** (1:57)
So we watched this rather tense voting session yesterday, which you spoke at. First, why did you vote to hold Dr. Fauci in contempt?

**Josh Hawley** (2:06)
Well, because you can't have it both ways. You can't come to the committee and claim a full immunity of a pardon that Joe Biden gave him, and then also say, but I'm not going to answer any questions. The law on this is very clear.
If you've got immunity, you have to answer questions. Every prosecutor in America knows that. Fauci wanted to have it both ways because he didn't want to answer questions about why, for example, he got rich during COVID using taxpayer money. The guy needs to be held accountable for all of the terrible things he's done. And that list is long.

**John Bickley** (2:34)
Now Democrats like Senator Blumenthal made the argument that Fauci's lawyer should have been allowed to speak at the hearing last week and then also yesterday. Why do you believe his lawyer did not deserve to be heard?

**Josh Hawley** (2:46)
Well, his lawyer is not a witness. And this goes back to the point that you can either take immunity and answer questions, or you can give up your immunity and claim the fifth. You can't do both. You know, when was the last time that a courtroom witness was able to claim immunity, but then say, but I'm not going to answer any questions when I get out of the stand? The answer is never. We never allow that in a court of law. Dr. Fauci has a full and total pardon from Joe Biden, an auto pen pardon, but let's just for the purposes of discussion and say that it's valid. That means he should have to answer questions. He took the fifth 111 times. It was a joke.

**John Bickley** (3:18)
Now, Republicans have gained access to a copy of Dr. Fauci's cell phone that was acquired by a Senate panel chaired by Ron Johnson. We're going to talk to him next, in fact. How was that obtained and how significant is that development?

**Josh Hawley** (3:31)
Well, I think it could prove to be quite significant. It was obtained pursuant to a valid subpoena, as I understand it, from the permanent subcommittee on investigations, which is just an investigatory arm of the Senate. The truth is that, listen, this is all public information and this is Dr. Fauci's phone as a government employee.