WATCH: Fauci gets raked over the coals by Rand Paul during hearing on gain-of-function research

"So, what you're doing is defining away gain-of-function. You're simply saying it doesn't exist, because you've changed the definition on the NIH website," Paul starts in, amid several single-syllable attempts to interject by Fauci.

"This is terrible, and you're completely trying to escape the idea that we should do something about trying to prevent a pandemic from leaking from a lab. The preponderance of evidence now points to this coming from a lab, and what you've done is change the definition on your website to try to cover your *ss, basically."

"That's what you've done; you've changed the website to try to have a new definition that doesn't include the risky research that's going on. Until you admit that it's risky, we're not gonna get anywhere."

Rand continued, with Fauci unsuccessfully still trying to interject:

"You have to admit that this research was risky. The NIH has now rebuked them. Your own agency has rebuked them. The thing is that, you're still unwilling to admit that they gained in function, when they say they became sicker, they gained in lethality. It's a new virus. That's not gain of function?

"According to the definition that is currently optional," responds Fauci, over Paul's laughing. "You know, Senator, let's make it clear for the people listening."

"The current definition was done over a two to three year period by outside bodies," continues Fauci, launching into a long list of names and dates.