Former chief White House medical adviser Anthony Fauci was keenly aware of the media’s interest in him early in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to diary entries released by Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.). The entries, comprising more than a thousand pages, show Fauci considered some of the attention ‘flattering’ but also expressed growing disillusionment with President Donald Trump.
Fauci described Trump in stark terms, calling him ‘rambling,’ ‘crazy,’ ‘desperate,’ ‘bumbling,’ ‘incompetent,’ ‘an idiot,’ ‘a true embarrassment,’ ‘totally nuts’ and ‘truly an obnoxious adolescent.’ On 27 February 2020, Fauci wrote about a late-night call from Trump that lasted about 20-25 minutes, during which Fauci encouraged Trump not to underplay the seriousness of the virus. The next day, Trump again underplayed the situation, according to Fauci.
On 14 March 2020, Fauci wrote that Trump was fixated on ‘the fluff of ratings and publicity’ and wanted two press conferences per day. By 22 May 2020, Fauci noted that Trump was ‘getting out of control’ pushing to open up the country before election day, and that this was about re-election. In October 2020, Fauci wrote that Trump was ‘on the campaign trail spewing nonsense’ and ‘a true embarrassment.’
The release of Fauci’s diaries was orchestrated by Rand Paul, who has accused Fauci of needlessly shutting down the country and covering up that the virus was human-made. Fauci, according to single-source records, has consistently said the virus originated from animal-to-human transmission. At a January 2022 hearing, Fauci told Paul that Paul’s attacks put him in danger and that he received death threats and harassment, saying: ‘You are making a catastrophic epidemic for your political gain.’
Fauci’s diary also documents his interactions with journalists. He wrote that he gave questions to CNN’s Jake Tapper for an interview with pediatrician Brett Giroir, and that Tapper woke him up furious at Trump. Fauci noted having dinner at Tapper’s home and described Tapper as believing Trump is ‘totally nuts.’ He also had a texting relationship with NBC’s Chuck Todd, and received supportive texts from ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. condemned Fauci on Monday, stating that Fauci’s focus was on promoting himself and getting on TV, not public health. Kennedy said Fauci did ‘incalculable’ damage to public health and dismantled the public’s trust. Kennedy also said that because of Fauci’s leadership, the US had the highest mortality rate from COVID of any country in the world.
Fauci’s diary entries date from December 2019 to December 2022. The Senate hearing marks Fauci’s second appearance before Congress on COVID-19 origins since leaving government in 2022. More than 150 infectious disease experts, as documented in a single-source public letter, signed a statement defending Fauci, stating there is ‘no credible evidence’ supporting accusations and urging Congress to end political ‘witch-hunts.’ A Republican-led House subcommittee investigating the COVID-19 origins in 2024 found no evidence that Fauci engaged in wrongdoing, according to their report.