LETTER: Fauci takes the Fifth

David Tulanian Henderson August 6, 2026 - 3:32 pm During the Senate hearings on the pandemic response, the figure portrayed by the media as “the science” invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times. Regardless of one’s opinion of Dr. Anthony Fauci, this has prompted many to re‑examine how COVID‑19 discussions unfolded and how certain perspectives were handled. A particular moment worth re‑evaluating is Anderson Cooper’s 2020 interview with Carolyn Goodman, the Las Vegas official at that time. Goodman voiced worries about reopening Las Vegas and the fallout from extended shutdowns. Cooper gave her ample opportunity to explain her position, yet labeling her “ignorant” moved beyond critique into personal dismissal. As time has passed, several of Goodman’s concerns regarding the economic and social toll of the closures have entered a wider dialogue. One need not endorse every assumption she made to acknowledge that she merited a substantive debate. Public officials and journalists should remember that today’s certainty can become tomorrow’s reconsideration; the strongest conversations allow space for humility.