The release of newly uncovered diary entries from former White House COVID advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci sheds light on his increasing fixation on his rising celebrity status as COVID-19 deaths mounted worldwide.
The journals, made public by Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, provide a unique glimpse into Fauci's daily role during the crisis through conversations with President Donald Trump, governors, world leaders, media appearances, and his personal observations.
A recurring theme throughout the diaries is Fauci's growing awareness of his public profile during the pandemic, which ultimately claimed over 7 million lives worldwide, including roughly 1.2 million in the United States.
On April 7, 2020, Fauci noted that the press was still heavily focused on him, with multiple stories per day directly or indirectly involving him. By May 21, he wrote that his "national and international fame is explosive and really unimaginable," with Trump "seems to be enamored of me even though I am taking the spotlight away from him."
The diaries also document Fauci's frustrations with the Trump White House. On July 2, 2020, he expressed concern that the administration was dropping out of the response to the pandemic, warning of an "exponential" increase in cases heading into the Fourth of July weekend.
Fauci repeatedly defended himself against profiles written about him, insisting that White House officials were upset by the coverage, which made it appear he was becoming "a star that outshines" the president. He eventually decided to stop participating in profile interviews altogether.
The entries offer a deeply personal account of Fauci's role during the pandemic, capturing not only the government's internal deliberations but also his private concerns about the pandemic, his complicated relationship with the Trump White House, and the extraordinary public attention that followed.
