Dr. Fauci and U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) got in a heated exchange on the floor of the U.S. Senate today over the merits of requiring vaccinated people to continue wearing masks.

After presenting a study that concluded masks are not necessary for those who have already been vaccinated, Paul asked Fauci “what specific studies” he could cite to the contrary.

Fauci became visibly irritated after Paul asked, “You’ve had the vaccine and you’re wearing two masks, isn’t that just theatre?” “Here we go with the ‘theatre’ again,” he replied.

“There is no evidence that there are significant reinfections after a vaccine. In fact, I don’t think we have a hospitalization after the two week period after the second vaccination,” Paul said.

Fauci responded by cautioning that vaccinated individuals could possibly contract or transmit variant strains of the novel coronavirus to which Paul responded harshly. “You’ve been vaccinated and you parade around in two masks for show,” he argued.

“You can’t get it again. There’s almost– there’s virtually zero percent chance you’re gonna get it again,” he continued. “You want people to get the vaccine? Give ‘em a reward instead of telling them that the nanny state’s gonna be there for the next two years and you’ve got to wear a mask forever. People don’t want to hear it and there’s no science behind it.”

After Fauci insisted that “masks are not theatre,” Paul interrupted saying, “If you have immunity, they are theatre. If you already have immunity, you’re wearing a mask to give comfort to others. You’re not wearing a mask because of any science.”

“I totally disagree with you,” Fauci concluded.

Dr. Fauci is the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Director of Allergy & Infectious Disease Institute. As of this month, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) official policy recommends vaccinated Americans to continue wearing masks in public.

Watch the tense exchange for yourself below and let us know your thoughts: