A hot mic caught Dr. Anthony Fauci calling Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) a “moron” after a heated Senate Health Committee hearing in which Marshall pressed Fauci about his financial disclosures.
While questioning Fauci about his finances, Marshall brought a blown-up check to the hearing made out to Fauci for $434,312, roughly the amount of his annual federal salary. Fauci is reportedly the highest-paid employee in the entire U.S. federal government.
Marshall’s line of questioning visibly irritated Fauci. “I don’t understand why you’re asking me that question,” Fauci said. He then explained that his financial disclosures are made public.
In a back and forth exchange, Marshall accused “big tech giants” of hiding Fauci’s finances from the public, and Fauci repeatedly called the senator “misinformed.” Marshall explained that his office could not locate Fauci’s financial disclosures online.
“Why am I misinformed? This is a huge issue,” said Marshall, who continued to question Fauci about his earnings.
At the end of the exchange, a hot mic caught Fauci saying, “What a moron. Jesus Christ.”
Marshall responded to Fauci’s remarks on Twitter. “Calling me a moron during a Senate hearing may have alleviated the stress of the least trusted bureaucrat in America, but it didn’t take away from the facts. We need the truth Dr. Fauci,” Marshall said.