'You don't get to do that!' Rand Paul scrambles to defend ejecting Fauci lawyer

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) fumed Wednesday after a Democratic colleague shamed him for throwing Dr. Anthony Fauci's lawyer out of a Senate hearing.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) delivered the rebuke at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing — the same session where Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer questions.

Paul, the committee chairman, had called the hearing to question Fauci about COVID-19 origins.

Earlier in the session, attorney David Schertler tried to speak on Fauci's behalf after Fauci's opening statement. Paul refused to recognize him. "Another word and you're gone!" Paul warned — then had security escort Schertler from the room, which erupted in applause, according to hearing reports.

"His attorney has been gagged, thrown out of this hearing room, but he has written a letter to the chairman that is an explanation for the reasons why Dr. Fauci is, in fact, invoking his constitutional right," Blumenthal said when his turn came.

"This hearing is the culmination of a years-long crusade which started more than six years ago when Dr. Fauci dared to contradict President Donald Trump," Blumenthal added.

Blumenthal then read from Schertler's letter, which cited Paul's own public statements — including social media posts calling to put Fauci "in jail" and demanding "a subpoena and a jail cell" — as evidence that the hearing was designed to trap Fauci in a criminal case, not gather information.

"This years-long public crusade against Dr. Fauci makes one thing clear," Blumenthal read. "You are single-mindedly fixated on seeing Dr. Fauci prosecuted for imaginary crimes, and you are so invested in that outcome that you have created a personal brand around it."

"It is an insult to the memory of more than 1 million Americans who died from COVID-19," he continued. "America deserves better."

"In no courtroom in America can you have your witness plead the Fifth Amendment, then have your attorney get to testify," Paul shot back. "That's what that letter is. You don't get to do that. I'm not gonna give you any information. You don't then get to put your lawyer forward to justify it."

"He was not invited to testify, and he was out of order, and it was appropriate to have him ejected," Paul said.

Paul separately warned Fauci there would be "repercussions" for refusing to answer questions after being directed by the chairman to do so.