In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience released this week (January 2026), Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) discussed his ongoing efforts to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci accountable for alleged misconduct during the COVID-19 pandemic. Paul claims he has worked closely with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to gather evidence and submit criminal referrals to the Department of Justice—first under Biden, now under President Trump—but no investigative action has followed. As of mid-January 2026, the Trump DOJ, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, has not publicly responded to or acted on these referrals. Source: Washington Examiner (January 13, 2026)
What Rand Paul Said on Joe Rogan
During the wide-ranging conversation, Senator Paul expressed frustration with the lack of progress on holding Fauci accountable. He recounted sending criminal referrals to former Attorney General Merrick Garland twice during the Biden administration, alleging that Fauci lied to Congress—a potential felony—about U.S. funding of gain-of-function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
“Under the Biden administration, I sent criminal referrals for Anthony Fauci to Merrick Garland twice, and I sent them evidence that he had lied to Congress... They just ignored me,” Paul told Rogan.
Paul went on to describe his collaboration with RFK Jr., who has long been critical of Fauci and federal health agencies. “I’ve been working with Bobby Kennedy and he’s been very helpful on this. He’s given us a lot of information... We now have evidence that he [Fauci] was telling people like Francis Collins: ‘Read this and destroy it.’”
The senator emphasized that federal officials are required by law to preserve official communications on government devices, making any instruction to destroy records a serious violation in his view. He says this evidence was included in a renewed referral sent to the current Trump Justice Department—yet no action has been taken.
Paul also questioned the validity of a preemptive pardon reportedly granted to Fauci by former President Joe Biden before leaving office, suggesting it may have been signed via autopen and could be challenged in court.
Background and Context
The tensions between Rand Paul and Anthony Fauci date back to 2021 Senate hearings, where Paul repeatedly pressed Fauci on whether NIH-funded research in Wuhan qualified as gain-of-function—a type of experimentation that enhances the transmissibility or virulence of pathogens. Fauci consistently denied that the funded projects met the official definition, while Paul argued internal emails contradicted that testimony.
BREAKING: Senator Rand Paul says he has damning evidence from RFK on Anthony Fauci which he has repeatedly sent to Trump's Attorney General... but the Trump DoJ is ignoring it and refuses to investigate Fauci!
— Andrew Bridgen (@ABridgen) January 14, 2026
Why is Fauci being protected ? pic.twitter.com/i0xAhsLEa1
No formal charges were ever brought under the Biden administration. After President Trump’s second inauguration in 2025 and RFK Jr.’s confirmation as HHS Secretary, Paul renewed his referrals in mid-2025 following reports of the Biden pardon. As of now, the Department of Justice has not commented publicly on the submissions, and no investigation has been announced.
Critics of Fauci argue his guidance during the pandemic caused lasting harm, while supporters credit him with helping navigate a once-in-a-century public health crisis based on the best available science at the time. The debate remains deeply polarized, with legal accountability still unresolved.
Primary Source
This story originates from reporting on Senator Paul's appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience. A detailed article covering his claims can be found here: Infowars.com (January 2026)
Original article: Rand Paul: Trump DOJ Silent on Fauci Criminal Referrals on Planet Today 🚀
Automatically republished from the main blog.