Bill Maher slams Rand Paul for publishing Fauci's pandemic diary

During a recent episode of Real Time, Bill Maher attacked Senator Rand Paul for publishing more than 1,000 pages of Dr. Fauci’s personal COVID-19 diary, calling the move at odds with Paul’s long-standing libertarian brand. The release came just before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, chaired by Paul, voted 8-5 to refer Fauci for contempt after the latter repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment rights in a hearing.

Maher denounced the threat of contempt as a tool to silence dissent and mocked Paul’s privacy credentials. A PR specialist told one outlet that Paul should focus on the diary’s significance rather than its acquisition, noting that government-computer notes differ from a private journal. The criticism highlights tension between anti-government rhetoric and actions that expose government records.