Anthony Fauci, at 85, has been called to testify before the Senate committee investigating the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic, in what feels like a settling of scores by the very party that, at the time, was recommending chloroquine as a defence. The eminent physician is once again at the centre of controversy, not least for choosing to invoke the Fifth Amendment rather than answer questions. Guido Poli, immunologist at the San Raffaele Hospital and president of Patto Trasversale per la Scienza, who worked with him for many years, recalls in this article Tony Fauci's battles in the history of American and international public health, from AIDS to the pandemic. The image is taken from the footage (public domain) of A. Fauci's hearing on 29 July 2026 before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.