Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said Friday that Dr. Anthony Fauci was lying to the American people about the need for masks after vaccination.

Paul joined Fox News host and Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson to discuss the heated exchange he and Fauci had during Thursday’s Senate hearing. (RELATED: ‘You Parade Around In Two Masks For Show’: Sen. Rand Paul Questions Dr. Fauci On Wearing Masks After Vaccination)

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Carlson began by thanking Paul for pushing back on Fauci, asking whether there was any science at all behind claims that masks would still be necessary for those who received the coronavirus vaccine.

“There was no scientific evidence presented, there was Dr. Fauci’s opinion, his conjecture that someday there might be a variant that escapes the control to the vaccine and becomes a pandemic and hospitalize us and kills people,” Paul replied, adding, “He thinks it might happen so you need to wear the mask until he’s sure that things that might happen are not going to happen.”

Paul went on to argue Fauci’s concern was not liberty and that government must provide the burden of evidence if they wanted to control people’s behavior.

“I said is there evidence that some new variant, some new strain of COVID is hospitalizing and killing hundreds or even thousands of people in the United States? The evidence is zero,” Paul continued. “There is no proof that when you have been vaccinated or when you have gotten the disease naturally that you are spreading it. If there were, it would be all over the news. There are no news reports and no scientific studies saying that after vaccination that there is some sort of widespread contagion that people vaccinated are spreading the disease. It’s just not true.”

Paul’s concluded that Fauci was likely making a calculated decision to tell “a noble lie.”

“He is lying to you because he doesn’t think we are smart enough to make decisions,” Paul continued, arguing that Fauci fears Americans ditching their masks. “So he lies to you to say the mask makes a difference when in reality he knows better. He’s wearing two masks for theater, it’s complete theater. He is immune and he knows he’s not gonna get it, but he’s not being honest with the American public.”

The Federalist’s Ben Domenech recently said Fauci “outlived his usefulness” and that his calls for post-vaccination masks are “dangerous.” However, Fox News Host Juan Williams has defended Fauci’s stance on masks, saying, “Even in political theater you should applaud people who are looking out for you.”