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8/6/2026 Dr. Fauci’s Questionable Past and Present, Intoxicating Hemp, and the Muslim Brotherhood in America
August 6, 2026 · 59 min
Jody Hice and guests investigate the 5th Amendment of the Constitution, how Dr. Fauci used it inappropriately and mishandled the COVID-19 origins and symptoms, review where things stand with the continuing resolution on Capitol Hill, growing concerns by state attorneys general over intoxicating hemp, and the dangers of the Muslim Brotherhood in America.
Series Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video August 6, 2026 · 59 min · Washington Watch with Tony Perkins - Video
Jody Hice and guests investigate the 5th Amendment of the Constitution, how Dr. Fauci used it inappropriately and mishandled the COVID-19 origins and symptoms, review where things stand with the continuing resolution on Capitol Hill, growing concerns by state attorneys general over intoxicating hemp, and the dangers of the Muslim Brotherhood in America. ...more Show the full description Show less Jody Hice and guests investigate the 5th Amendment of the Constitution, how Dr. Fauci used it inappropriately and mishandled the COVID-19 origins and symptoms, review where things stand with the continuing resolution on Capitol Hill, growing concerns by state attorneys general over intoxicating hemp, and the dangers of the Muslim Brotherhood in America.
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In this video 0:00 Opening Headlines5:00 Fauci Contempt & Program Preview22:00 Fauci Diaries: Private vs. Public Views32:00 Hemp Dangers & Muslim Brotherhood Threat44:00 Legal Analysis of Fauci Contempt & Pardons
Opening Headlines 0:00 Hello. I'm Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and host of Washington Watch. Thanks for tuning in. Every day, we offer a biblical perspective on the news as well as insightful interviews with elected0:12 leaders, newsmakers, and culture experts. We have a great program planned for you today. But 1st, get up to speed on the top headlines with Washington Stan's news brief.0:27 Welcome to the Washington Stan news brief. I'm Casey Harper bringing you today's big stories. Iranian leadership has reportedly struck a 60 day deal with Oman to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, but there's a catch.0:39 Saudi based media said the vessels entering the Strait will use a route close to Iran, while those leaving will take 1 close to Oman. No transit fees or service charges will be imposed, at least for now. And regional0:50 parties may participate in demining and technical procedures according to those sources. Following the agreement's approval, the US and Iran will return to their peace memorandum of understanding and activate paragraph1:02 5, which concerns the reopening and safe navigation of commercial shipping through the strait. While the opening is likely a good sign, Iran's grip on the strait is problematic for the US. Iran has1:14 publicly said that they and Oman alone will retain control and not tolerate any outside influence. That's clearly a shot at the US, of course. On top of that, they say they're not even negotiating with the US,
1:26 something president Donald Trump says is an outright lie. More of the same, really. Vice president JD Vance gave an insight into the difficulty of these negotiations during an interview on the Ingram angle on Fox
1:38 News.
1:39 I can certainly understand the American people are maybe looking at this, and they say, well, it seems like we're making progress, and then it seems like we're not. The reality, Laura, is that number 1, the Iranians are
1:48 extraordinarily difficult people. Number 2, they have a fractured system. So there are people within their system who want the war to be over. There are also people within their system who are crazy radicals who want the
1:59 war to continue. Our job is to navigate through that and get the best outcome for the American people, but for the president of the United States as well. And and I do think that where we will ultimately land, it's gonna
2:10 be messy, and it's gonna take some time to get there. Where we will ultimately land, as you see, oil, I think, was at 79 dollars today. Those oil prices are gonna come down and stay down. Iran will never have a nuclear
2:21 weapon, and the United States will be in a stronger position. But we're kind of in the middle of the game, and I think people are trying to to prejudge exactly how this is gonna go.
2:30 We'll keep following that story and keep you updated on the latest. But meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, a US Senate committee voted on Thursday to hold doctor Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress after he refused to answer
2:42 lawmakers questions over 100 times in a hearing last week. He plead the 5th, but not before attacking the committee's chair, senator Rand Paul.
2:51 In this vote, the yeas are 8, the nays are 5, and the motion is agreed to.
2:55 The chair directed Anthony Fauci to answer. He refused again. That is what we are voting on today. Not his opinions, not his policies, not anything he said
3:07 from a podium 6 years ago. We are voting on whether a witness who has received the benefit of a sweeping federal pardon can be ordered by this committee to answer questions and then defy that order
3:19 without consequence.
3:21 That vote comes after Fauci, the former top US infectious disease official, refused to answer questions about his handling of the COVID 19 pandemic. Fauci said he felt senator Paul was trying to set him up for criminal
3:32 prosecution. Fauci has been under fire after his recently released diary shows that he lied to the American people about the origins of COVID 19 or at least how he felt about them. The efficacy of mask and the safety
3:44 of the vaccine and how federal health officials may have misrepresented that data is also under scrutiny. With Thursday's contempt vote, senator Paul said he would refer Fauci to the Department of Justice, and the DOJ
3:56 will have discretion over how and whether to proceed with charges. For our last story, the senate on Wednesday confirmed doctor Erica Schwartz as director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This
4:08 is a win for the Trump administration, which has struggled to get senate approval for top health positions. Matt Schwartz is president Trump's 3rd pick to run the CDC and was confirmed 51 to 44. She'll
4:20 be the 1st permanent CDC director since health secretary Robert f Kennedy junior last year fired Trump's 2nd pick after less than a month over a clash on vaccine policy. Well, that is
4:31 today's news. I'm Casey Harper. You can dive deeper at the Washington Stand, which is Family Research Council's outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. As for us, we're back next time with more stories
4:42 that matter.
4:53 From the heart of our nation's capital in Washington DC, bringing compelling interviews, insightful analysis, taking you beyond the headlines and sound bites into conversations with our nation's leaders and
Fauci Contempt & Program Preview
5:05 newsmakers, all from a biblical worldview. Sitting in for Tony is today's host, Jody Heiss.
5:11 That is what we are voting on today. Not his opinions, not his policies, not anything he said from a podium 6 years ago. We are voting on whether a witness who has
5:23 received the benefit of a sweeping federal pardon can be ordered by this committee to answer questions and then defy that order without consequence.
5:34 That was Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs chairman Rand Paul earlier today before his committee voted to pass his resolution to hold doctor Anthony Fauci in
5:45 contempt of congress. Welcome to this Thursday, August 6th edition of Washington Watch. I'm your host today, Jody Heise. Thrilled to be able to fill the shoes today of Tony
5:57 Perkins. Thank you so much for joining us. Glad to be with you for this next hour as we look at the top news from a biblical perspective. Coming up today, we'll discuss today's contempt of congress
6:09 vote against doctor Anthony Fauci. We'll look at it from a legal perspective with Cully Stimpson from the Heritage Foundation. We'll also dive into the Fauci diaries that senator Rand
6:21 Paul released ahead of last week's committee hearing. Epidemiologist and clinical trial is doctor Andrew Bostom will join us for that discussion. And there's a growing push
6:33 against intoxicating hemp products that are trying to make their way into the marketplace through various loopholes in federal law. We'll discuss this with Arkansas attorney general
6:45 Tim Griffin, who led a bipartisan letter with some 34 other attorneys generals on that issue. Plus, there was a senate judiciary subcommittee
6:57 hearing yesterday on the Muslim Brotherhood Network in America. They have allegedly been providing indoctrination, financing, and political protection for Jihadist
7:08 terror. We'll discuss this with 1 of those who testified yesterday as a witness, Kyle Shidler from the Center for Security Policy. All that and much more is coming your way
7:20 the next hour right here on this edition of Washington Watch. We'll begin today with the contempt
7:32 resolution against doctor Anthony Fauci. Joining us now to fill us in is Washington Watch reporter Mary Stackhouse. Mary, can you tell us what happened today? Big story.
7:44 Sure, Jody. Republicans in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee under chairman Rand Paul voted today to pass Paul's resolution to hold doctor Anthony Fauci in contempt of congress for refusing
7:56 to answer questions under subpoena. Now this comes after doctor Fauci appeared before the committee last week pursuant to a subpoena issued by chairman Paul during the July 29th hearing. Doctor Fauci
8:07 invoked the 5th amendment 111 times. That includes invoking it on simple questions like what color his tie was or what day of the week it was. Committee member Josh Hawley pointed out today that he had
8:19 asked those questions to test the good faith nature of doctor Fauci's invocation of the 5th Amendment. Here's what senator Hawley had to say.
8:26 I think it's pretty clear given doctor Fauci's 111 invocations of the 5th Amendment, including the questions that he had could have no fear of prosecution on. He's not gonna get prosecuted for
8:37 the color of his tie. Shows that
8:40 he had no interest and no intention of answering any of our questions. So that is an abuse of the that there's no privilege for any of that.
8:46 The resolution to hold doctor Fauci in contempt of congress passed committee with a vote of 8 to 5 down party lines. Chairman Paul has said that he intends to send the referral directly to the justice department rather
8:58 than to the full senate 1st. This would leave it up to the US attorney and Washington to decide whether to investigate or potentially attempt to prosecute doctor Fauci for contempt. Jody?
9:09 It certainly is going to be extremely interesting to see how this continues to unfold. Mary, staying in the senate, what's the latest on the efforts to try to keep the government funded beyond the midterm
9:21 elections coming up?
9:23 Jody, the measure to extend government funding through December 11th is 1 of a number of items that senate majority leader John Thune wants to get done before senators leave for their 5 week recess. Thune has said that
9:34 passing the measure was his top priority going into the August recess. However, there's been very little progress on fast tracking the continuing resolution. A group of Republican senators led by senator Ted Budd of
9:45 North Carolina wants to strip a provision from the CR that delays the implementation of a ban on some hemp products, which are said to cause intoxication like marijuana. Here's what senator Budd said yesterday
9:57 on the senate floor.
9:58 This is a public health health crisis that deserves this senate's immediate attention. Our children should never be the testing ground for an industry willing to exploit a loophole in
10:10 federal law for profit. We need to strip this amendment from the continuing resolution to regulate these harmful substances for exactly what they are, not what the
10:22 industry wants to call them.
10:27 According to reports, president Trump personally called senator Budd yesterday to urge him to back off of his opposition to the hemp delay provision, but senator Budd made it clear that he will not back down and he will
10:38 not waiver. Meanwhile, leader Thune has indicated that he intends to keep the senate in town until the bulk of the chamber's to do list is completed. A spokesperson for Thune warned that the senate may be forced to stay
10:50 in session well into next week, delaying the planned August recess. Jody?
10:56 Alright. We'll be keeping a close eye on that 1 as well. Thank you, Mary. Before I let you go, can you give us a quick update on the situation with Iran and where we stand on the negotiations?
11:06 Sure, Jody. According to reports, Iran and Oman are nearing a new arrangement for managing traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. But Iran is insisting that the framework represents a new security model for the waterway
11:18 rather than a full reopening. Iran has also said that reopening the strait would hinge on the US lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. But US Central Command has said that it is continuing to enforce the US
11:30 blockade against Iran, which has been back in place since July 14th as part of US efforts to pressure Iran into negotiations. In a post on X, CENTCOM said that US Marines redirected 49 commercial
11:42 vessels. They disabled 2 and they boarded 2 other vessels as of today. Jody?
11:48 Alright, Mary. Thank you so much as always for these updates. We appreciate it. And I wanna turn now back to our discussion about doctor Fauci being voted in contempt of Congress. What led to this?
12:01 Well, joining us to discuss this now is doctor Andrew Bostom. He's an academic clinical trialist and epidemiologist as well as research physician at the Brown University Center
12:12 for Primary Care and Prevention of, Kent Memorial Hospital in Rhode Island. Doctor Balsam, welcome back to Washington Watch. Appreciate you joining us.
12:24 Let's start with just
12:26 wanted to add that I'm retired now.
12:29 Well, good for you. That that makes it even more important for you to, join us today. Thank you. You could have been doing a lot of other things. Let's, look at this doctor Fauci, both of your
12:40 epidemiologists, but you disagree with him on, several things. Can you walk us through some of that?
12:47 I you know, it's almost remember the old, well, actually, probably it still exists. Spy versus spy in in Mad Magazine, that that it's versus It's the private
12:59 versus the public. The more I see the private Fousey, I have to say, and I wish that person had emerged in public, my my disagreement still
13:11 largely largely disappear when when you over over COVID. I mean, the things that he was saying in private, particularly, about about masking, about the overall infection fatality
13:23 rate, for COVID, which really defined whether it was going to be, you know, a a pandemic that we should be, up in arms about,
13:36 or or something more more akin to a flu or a severe flu. He he had a very different, understanding in in private. And this just
13:48 it makes the situation, I think, all that more nefarious, quite honestly. So in other words, Fauci was very, dubious about the benefit of of masking, in in private.
14:00 I I remember seeing, an email that he got from a a a pooled analysis that I I have been familiar with. He actually got it before it was published. He got it when it was in print. And it
14:12 was basically a review of the flu era, and it and it was a whole host of studies, all randomized trials, which showed that masking was infected for flu. And and since, you know and and he agreed. Well, you know, since
14:23 there's about the same particle size as COVID, it's probably not gonna work for COVID. And and he understood that in private. And also, he did he did speculate that the infection fatality
14:35 rate for for for COVID might be more along the lines. He didn't think it was gonna be, like, seasonal flu, but he could it it could be more along the lines of, of of a pandemic flu,
14:47 something like the 19 57, 58, flu epidemic. And that infection fatality rate was about 0.25 or so, you know, not the 1 percent, 2 percent, 3 percent, 5 percent,
14:59 that that that was being that the fear mongering was about.
15:03 So it is interesting some of that when you go back and forth with his diary and his public comments like what you're talking about. Some of the things in his diary were were some of the very things that you brought up on
15:14 this program back during the the pandemic. And so I'd like to get play a clip for you and get your reaction to this. Play clip number 6 for me, please.
15:25 I think 1 of the revelation of those diaries, I think probably the the most significant 1 that's being overlooked was early on in the pandemic. He wrote in his diaries, he thought COVID would be maybe twice a bad flu
15:36 season. Now I'm not downplaying a bad flu season. We we have them oftentimes. They overwhelm hospitals. Something to take seriously. But a pandemic is gonna be
15:48 twice that. Is that is that really worth destroying people's lives, shutting down businesses, destroying economy?
15:56 That's exactly what you were just saying. I mean, mean, when you when you were talking about that, I was like, this is precisely what came up yesterday. What other things were in his diary verse that were in contrast to
16:08 what he was saying publicly?
16:11 I think I think the issue the whole issue of masking was was, dealt with in in his diary. And I think he actually had some skepticism about the ability of the
16:23 vaccine to prevent, transmission, if I recall. But these were these were, antithetical, to to to what or the opposite of what he was saying in in in
16:35 public. He was very adamant about the need for masking and multiple masks on occasion, and and he was absolutely sure that that the that the virus was gonna prevent
16:47 transmission. Those
16:49 are Do you think it's yeah.
16:51 Do you think it's fair to say that he veered away from the science and ended up being influenced by politics?
16:58 I I there's no other way to interpret it. You know, and and we and we have we have a big problem because, you know, Fauci, if I recall, he he he did a a very
17:11 way back at the beginning of his career, did a landmark randomized controlled trial, which led to a standard treatment for, a serious rheumatologic condition called reg Wegener's granulomatosis. And
17:22 he understood the importance of of true randomized trials with with hard outcomes. And and and we've we never had that with with vaccines, including the COVID vaccine
17:34 despite the the the the trillion dollar effort to to deal with with COVID. It would have been a perfect time to do a hard clinical trial with real outcomes, Jody. Something like hospitalizations
17:47 for pneumonia. Not just, you know, transient infection rates where you arbitrarily, you know, cut out the early observation period. I mean, this is this is he knew better than that. And he
17:59 and there were other people in the vaccine field that have been pushing for this for a long time. Now most noticeably, you know, r r f k junior. But but real vaccine clinical trials and epidemiologists were saying, look.
18:10 We we can't conduct trials this way. It's not enough to show a transient reduction in infections. And, again, you know, have this arbitrary notion that you you just don't look at the early infections. Or, actually, the
18:20 early infections are very important. But but, anyway, he he he had to know all this, Jody. And and and yet, he he pushed the the the the limited trials that we had far beyond what they
18:32 actually showed.
18:34 Alright. Thank you so much for joining us, doctor Bostom, retired epidemiologist. Incredible discussion and story. Thank you for joining us. Alright. Coming up, we've got much more Washington Watch to
18:46 discuss and a lot of big topics, so stay with us. We'll be back on
18:52 on the other side of
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21:55 Thank you for joining us today on Washington Watch. Welcome back. I'm Jody Heise, your host for today. Thanks so much for tuning in. Just a quick reminder, our Prevost Stand Summit isShow more
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