Newly released diary entries from Dr. Anthony Fauci reveal that CNN host Dana Bash offered him support via text messages in April 2021. The messages came after Fauci's tense exchange with Republican Rep. Jim Jordan during a congressional hearing regarding the federal government's pandemic response.
According to the entries, published by Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, Bash texted Fauci, "I just watched the whole Jordan thing. Again, you’re a better man than I." She also shared a comment from fellow CNN host Wolf Blitzer, suggesting that Fauci could have told Jordan, "Mr. Jordan, go f**k yourself."
Bash also highlighted a Vanity Fair headline that reportedly mocked Jordan's performance during the hearing. These communications occurred roughly a year after Bash had referred to Fauci as a "superhero" during a December 2020 appearance on CNN's "State of the Union."
Fauci's diaries, spanning from the pandemic's outset until his retirement in late 2022, reportedly show his engagement with news coverage about himself. The 1,100-page compilation was released by Paul, who has previously accused Fauci of misleading Congress and approving funding for experiments that may have contributed to the virus's spread.
During the April 2021 hearing, Jordan questioned Fauci on when Americans would regain their freedoms, emphasizing the prolonged COVID-19 mitigation measures. Fauci responded by stating the daily infection rate needed to fall significantly below 10,000 and that a vast majority of Americans would need to be vaccinated.
The entries also detail Fauci's interactions with other media figures. He noted a "friendship building" with CNN's Jake Tapper and his wife, recalling dinners and Tapper's concern about an interview potentially causing problems for him.
Fauci, who has not been convicted of any crimes, has faced scrutiny regarding the origins of COVID-19, with theories pointing to either a lab incident or natural zoonotic transmission. The diaries were released ahead of Fauci's scheduled testimony before a Senate committee.
