Fauci, Flattery, and the Fifth
Christopher Michel, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Six years after the shutdown of the world with the outbreak of COVID-19, the controversies remain. Just last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci was called before Congress to testify regarding his decisions and recommendations as the government’s voice of science and reason regarding COVID-19. The questions and responses initially seemed very personal as Dr. Fauci stated that Senator Rand Paul, the committee chairman seemed to have an “unhinged obsession with me.”[1] Fauci said little more as the senators asked questions. Even simple questions were answered with, “On the advice of counsel, I respectfully decline to answer based upon my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution.” In the nearly three-hour hearing, Dr. Fauci repeated that phrase more than 100 times. The debate on whether he could rightly plead the fifth while immune to prosecution remains. The political drama was high during the hearings. The opinions regarding Fauci’s recommended actions during the pandemic are varied. Undoubtedly, this story will continue, and pundits will present narratives that either blame or excuse the recommendations of the doctor.
No one is immune to political opinions or leanings, pastors included. However, I will at this time leave the dissection of what was or was not done during the pandemic response to a later time. Rather, I think this hearing has revealed something that goes beyond Dr. Fauci and his responses (or non-responses).
During the hearings, Senator Paul released as evidence in the case over 1,100 pages of Dr. Fauci’s journal entries. These entries and the commentary offered by Paul highlight much regarding the differences between Dr. Paul (not only is Rand Paul a senator, but he is also a medical doctor) and Dr. Fauci. Paul released what he called a string of diary entries from Fauci dated from 2019 through 2022. Even as the entries were referenced, Fauci continued to plead the fifth.[2] His journal entries contained a mix of previously private updates on the virus as well as notes about his media appearances and publicity.
Such entries give insight into an individual’s thinking at a particular point in time. Fauci was touted by many as an expert. That has been debated since 2020, but nonetheless he and Dr. Francis Collins of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were given the microphone by government leaders and suddenly became the driving force in our nation for recommended protocols and processes. Hunter Baker, senior fellow at the First Liberty Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy as well as the provost for North Greenville University stated, “I don’t think Fauci and Collins were right about a lot of these things (responses and origins of COVID-19), but they were really not in power.”[3] Baker focuses on how those in power simply handed over the microphone. This has proven to be a poor choice, but of course, hindsight is 20/20.
When asked about Fauci’s journal entries, John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview stated, “It was a remarkable thing to get an inside look at the journals of Dr. Fauci.”[4] He remarked how frightening it would be to have your private entries on display for all to read. In the age of the carefully airbrushed public image to have such raw data publicly shared certainly can shift the perspective of the masses. Some would state that if you have nothing to hide, what is the big deal? Fair question and mostly asked by those who have never been or never will be in a position of having their private journals read publicly.
The Celebrity Syndrome
Celebrity is an interesting phenomena. Singers, musicians, actors, and athletes have been placed on high pedestals for decades and often their opinions on issues that can impact many. Yet, the celebrity syndrome is not relegated simply to Hollywood or the sports arena.
For years, many Christians have been decrying the rise of the celebrity pastor. Often, these are references to pastors of local churches that become megachurches or even gigachurches. They have their sermons compiled and through ghostwriters become best-sellers under the category of “Christian living.” They become panel members at conferences, guests on popular podcasts, keynote speakers at major conferences, and more. The celebrity status, in my opinion, is likely not sought by most, but when it hits, it is like a drug. The dopamine is impacted and the love of being loved is experienced. Left unchecked, it can be deadly.
The celebrity pastor who is lauded for a season is also placed under a microscope. Even the good ones cannot avoid the challenges. The danger is when the applause of people is sought, cherished, and desired to a point where one’s image becomes more important than one’s integrity.
Dr. Fauci is being criticized by many for his apparent admission of loving the celebrity status he gained, if even for a season. He stated publicly that he was not seeking such fame, but privately journaled how good it made him feel.
Perhaps Fauci is simply the celebrity pastor of the church of science (not Scientology or the Church of Christ, Scientist…those are the subjects of another story altogether)? The response by many to those who hold to religious beliefs and especially a Christian worldview, is often, “Let the science speak.” Sounds good, but science does not speak. Scientists do.
Science is not the antithesis of faith, as God is sovereign over all. Yet scientists (even godly, Christian scientists) are human. And all have and do sin and fall short of the glory of God.
Stonestreet stated, “Scientists actually have opinions and emotions and biases, and they’re also infected by the fall and everything along with that.”[5] The fact is that we all like to be liked. We may be trying to divide our emotions into categories with only some emphasis on “words of affirmation” as being our love language, but the truth is that we all long for such. To be affirmed, from our own human understanding, is to be loved. Yet, biblical love and affirmation are not synonyms. You can love someone deeply without affirming their behavior. Parents understand this.
Nonetheless, as I listened to Fauci plead the fifth numerous times and then heard how much he actually enjoyed fame, feelings of judgment were soon replaced with caution.
Whether a celebrity pastor of a megachurch, a celebrity voice for the world of science, a celebrity as defined by entertainment or sports culture, or simply being the “most likely to be liked” in one’s friend group or school, the heart longs to be liked and loved.
We would be wise to remember that whether it be those early church leaders who lined up to “be of Paul” or “be of Apollos” or those who dared wear the robe of pride, believing themselves to be more important or more loved than others (e.g. Herod in Acts 12) that the heart of man is sinful and will always be drawn to adulation.
The Enemy works to lift himself up higher than God. If not overtly, then by convincing people to lift themselves up higher, thus breaking the first commandment.
Flattery is addictive…and a trap.
A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet. (Proverbs 29:5) [6]
As for whether I personally fall into this trap at times? Well, I’ll plead the fifth.
____________________
[1] Stolberg, Sheryl Gay. Fauci Repeatedly Refuses to Answer Senators’ Questions at Volatile Hearing - The New York Times, 29 July 2026, www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07/29/us/trump-news-fauci-hearing.
[2] Daniel, Ari. “Rand Paul Releases Anthony Fauci’s Pandemic-Era Diary Notes. Here’s What They Tell Us.” NPR, NPR, 28 July 2026, www.npr.org/2026/07/27/nx-s1-5909531/rand-paul-anthony-fauci-coronavirus-diary-lab-leak-origin.
[3] The World and Everything in It: July 29, 2026 | World, 29 July 2026, wng.org/podcasts/the-world-and-everything-in-it-july-29-2026-1785263395.
[4] The World and Everything in It: July 31, 2026 | World, 31 July 2026, wng.org/podcasts/the-world-and-everything-in-it-july-31-2026-1785442740.
[5] The World and Everything in It: July 31, 2026.
[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Pr 29:5.
