More than 1,500 pages of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s personal diary, spanning from the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic through 2022, have been made public following a subpoena led by U.S. Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky. The diary, created and stored on government servers during Fauci’s tenure as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), offers an unprecedented look into Fauci’s private thoughts on the origins of COVID-19, his relationship with former President Donald Trump, and his rise to public prominence during the health crisis.
The diary reveals a complex picture of Fauci’s views and experiences during the pandemic. Early entries from January 2020 document Fauci’s concerns about “unusual cases of pneumonia” in Wuhan, China, and detailed monitoring of the outbreak’s progression. He acknowledged circulating “conspiracy theories” about whether the virus was artificially manufactured, suggesting the need for expert examination by evolutionary biologists and virologists. Fauci maintained that U.S. funding to the Wuhan Institute of Virology did not create the virus, calling allegations of a lab leak “molecularly impossible.” He also attributed persistent Republican accusations of a lab origin to political motives aimed at discrediting him and helping Trump’s reelection efforts.
Regarding public health measures, the diary shows Fauci’s evolving stance on school closures amid mounting political pressure. Early in the pandemic, he referenced school shutdowns in China and discussed similar measures with governors and mayors in the U.S., including Bill de Blasio and Gavin Newsom. While Fauci advocated for cautious reopening tied to vaccine availability, he noted disagreements with Republican leaders like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who initially opposed extended closures. By August 2020, Fauci expressed concern about the psychological and nutritional impacts of prolonged school closures on children, emphasizing that reopening schools should be a priority.
The diary also details Fauci’s shifting relationship with President Trump. Initially, Fauci displayed enthusiasm about working directly with the president, describing himself as “flattered” by Trump’s attention and involvement in pandemic discussions. However, over time their relationship soured amid conflicting approaches to pandemic management. Fauci characterized Trump as “desperate” in his push to reopen the economy before the 2020 election, calling him a “true embarrassment” and “a very strange guy” in later entries. Despite public appearances suggesting tension, Fauci’s private writings from early 2020 also indicate moments of admiration and mutual respect.
Fauci’s diary further reveals his awareness of his growing media profile. He documented multiple news stories portraying him as a counterpoint to Trump’s handling of the pandemic and noted his own enjoyment of the resulting attention. The entries show Fauci’s recognition that amplified media coverage helped bolster his public role, as he became a prominent figurehead in American pandemic response and a subject of both support and criticism.
The release of Fauci’s diary has fueled renewed debate about his leadership and decisions during the COVID-19 crisis, with some viewing the documents as evidence of internal contradictions and others as insight into the challenges faced by public health officials navigating unprecedented circumstances amid political and media pressures. The diary entries have sparked discussion in the Senate, where Fauci has invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during hearings related to the pandemic response and investigations into the virus’s origins.