On Sunday, August 9th, 2026, HBO host Bill Maher sharply criticized former government scientist Anthony Fauci during the closing "New Rule" segment of his "Real Time" broadcast. Maher argued that Fauci’s ego was the true casualty of the pandemic, claiming the doctor exhibited signs of what he termed "main character syndrome," fueled by Hollywood praise and left-wing adulation.

Drawing from Fauci’s personal diary entries, Maher read aloud Fauci’s own words about his fame, including a claim that "one person said that Tyra Banks was sexy, but I was even more sexy than she was."

Summarizing his critique, Maher bluntly stated, "Turns out the really dangerous ‘intimate contact’ wasn’t shaking hands, it was kissing ass."

Separately, Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights over 100 times during testimony before Senator Rand Paul’s Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on July 29, 2026, according to NPR.

Sources