Private diaries kept by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease expert in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic, have been made public. The records, released by Senator Rand Paul, Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, contain many internal details from Fauci's relationship with then-President Donald Trump to his connections with media figures.
Praise from Trump: 'World's Smartest Person'
The diaries show that the working relationship between Fauci and Trump was initially quite positive. Fauci wrote that Trump frequently directed questions at him during White House meetings. Fauci also noted that the then-president described him as "the smartest person in the world" and said "We trust you," adding that as his national profile rose, he felt Trump became "admiring" of him.
Growing Tension and Conflicts in the White House
However, as the pandemic progressed, Fauci's relationship with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows deteriorated. Fauci recorded that Meadows threatened to keep him off television programs, pressured him to soften his public messaging, and once yelled at him over his public statements.
In contrast, he described then-White House Communications Director Alyssa Farah as an ally in the internal battles over media appearances. In May 2020, he recounted that Farah admitted White House staff were "holding him back" and that the situation was "out of control," saying she would begin re-approving his television requests.
Fauci used harsh language about Michael Caputo, the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In a diary entry dated July 2, 2020, he described Caputo as a "complete fraud" and alleged that while Caputo publicly appeared to support his television appearances, he privately blocked them.
Media Relations and Personal Ties
The diaries also highlighted close relationships with television journalists. CNN anchor Jake Tapper appeared repeatedly in Fauci's records through phone calls, text exchanges, and dinners at Tapper's home in Washington. Fauci wrote that Tapper privately checked to ensure a CNN interview would not cause trouble at the White House.
When The Atlantic reporter Peter Nicholas suggested he had been "humiliated" due to a canceled Tapper interview, Fauci recorded an expletive-laden response in his diary. He also recounted that after a heated session with Ohio Representative Jim Jordan, CNN's Dana Bash texted him saying he was "the better man," and that Wolf Blitzer joked no one would blame him if he told Jordan to "go curse at yourself."
Attention from Celebrities
Fauci's diary also featured a host of celebrities alongside politicians and White House officials. Actress Julia Roberts hosted Fauci on Instagram Live, sent him flowers, and later presented him with an award. Vogue editor Anna Wintour, comedian Trevor Noah, NBA star Steph Curry, actors Sean Penn and Matt Damon, and rapper Lil Wayne also appeared in the pages where Fauci documented his rising fame during the pandemic.
The diary ended with another unexpected cameo. Fauci wrote that at the 2022 Kennedy Center Honors, he hugged Hunter Biden, and Biden joked that if they were photographed together, the internet would "explode" because they would "get attacked by far-right Republicans."
