Dr. Anthony Fauci looked thoroughly defeated Thursday, just hours after a Senate committee voted to hold him in contempt of Congress over his refusal to answer questions about his management of the COVID 19 pandemic.

The former government health official was photographed wearing a deep frown while rolling a recycling bin toward the curb outside his Washington, DC, residence.

It was hardly the triumphant image once cultivated by liberal media outlets.

Fauci shares the $2.4 million home with his wife, Christine Grady, a Georgetown University colleague.

Gold. Upgraded. Buy real gold from $1. Store it in America. Sell it with one click.

His routine household chore came shortly after senators referred the contempt matter to the Justice Department for possible prosecution.

The sour mood apparently extended beyond Fauci. When the couple later departed the upscale neighborhood by vehicle, Grady made her displeasure with the nearby photographer unmistakably clear.

Grady flipped off the camera before driving away, while Fauci sat in the passenger seat and stared blankly through the window.

I think that this picture represents about how he has felt all along with his "ethics" advisor wife. I present to you the "Lysenko" of Covid mania tyranny and his wife. May justice be served in this life. May God have mercy on their souls. Source- https://t.co/9nqGY0xkU7⁩ pic.twitter.com/po07D2ozDn

— Irene Mavrakakis, M.D. (@IreneMavrakakis) August 7, 2026

For a couple accustomed to establishment praise, the sudden public scrutiny did not appear especially welcome.

This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year

Earlier Thursday, the Senate Homeland Security Committee voted eight to five along party lines to hold Fauci in contempt.

The vote followed his testimony last week, when he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights 111 times.

Republicans have spent years demanding answers about Fauci’s pandemic decisions, government research funding, and public statements concerning the origins of COVID 19.

Those questions became more urgent as evidence and official assessments challenged the narratives aggressively promoted during the pandemic.

If convicted of misdemeanor contempt of Congress, Fauci could face as much as one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.

The Justice Department will now become central to determining whether the referral develops into an actual criminal prosecution.

Republican senators argue Fauci cannot use the Fifth Amendment as a universal shield after delivering an opening statement and receiving a sweeping pardon from former President Joe Biden.

That pardon covered potential crimes committed from January 2014 through January 2025.

Sen. Josh Hawley challenged the legal basis for Fauci’s repeated refusal to respond.

“The assertion of a Fifth Amendment privilege only adheres to those instances where the witness has a reasonable fear of future prosecution, and it must be tailored to any such fear,” Hawley said.

The Missouri Republican’s point goes directly to the growing dispute.

Senators are questioning whether Fauci identified legitimate risks attached to individual questions or simply invoked constitutional protection as a blanket strategy to avoid scrutiny.

WATCH:

Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul subpoenaed Fauci to testify.

The Kentucky Republican has long accused the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of concealing information about the origins of COVID 19 and misleading Americans about the disease.

Paul has repeatedly pressed Fauci about research funding and whether taxpayer money supported dangerous coronavirus work overseas.

Fauci has denied wrongdoing, but his refusal to answer scores of questions has done little to satisfy lawmakers seeking a complete public record.

The Biden pardon has also intensified suspicion rather than quieting it.

Biden granted Fauci broad protection before leaving office, covering more than a decade in which Fauci held enormous influence over federal health policy and pandemic decisions.

Three state attorneys general have separately subpoenaed Fauci through a joint investigation involving the former COVID czar.

That expanding legal attention suggests the Senate fight may be only one part of a much larger examination of his conduct.

For years, Fauci enjoyed glowing coverage, celebrity treatment, and near total deference from Washington’s political class.

Now the cameras are capturing a different scene, complete with a contempt vote, unanswered questions, a trash bin, and one very angry hand gesture.

Americans who endured sweeping mandates, closed businesses, disrupted schools, and shifting government claims still want accountability.

Fauci may prefer silence, but Congress and state investigators appear increasingly determined to keep asking questions.

Gold is the oldest answer. SoundMoney makes owning it as easy as the apps you already use.