Leaked private writings attributed to Dr. Anthony Fauci have revealed a significant focus on his public image and media attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a column by Miranda Devine in the New York Post. The diary entries, reportedly spanning from December 2019 to December 2022, are said to detail Fauci's preoccupation with his growing public profile and the accolades he received, even as the global death toll mounted.
According to Devine, the diary entries portray Fauci as someone who meticulously recorded instances of public admiration, including praise from celebrities and White House staff. On March 4, 2020, with 108 cases and 10 deaths reported in the U.S., Fauci reportedly wrote, "Much praise for me," and noted the congratulatory remarks and selfie requests from colleagues in the White House following a favorable Politico profile.
Further entries detail his extensive media appearances. On March 15, 2020, Fauci wrote about participating in "all 5 Sunday Shows" on the same day the U.S. had 2,888 cases and 58 deaths. He also recounted convincing then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to close city schools and bars based on his recommendations.
The column highlights several entries where Fauci documented media coverage, including a "Big front page article abut me appeared in the Washington Post. Very flattering," on May 21, 2020. He is quoted as writing, "It is not hyoperbole to say that today I am the most famous and talked about person in the country and one of the most recognizable peson in the world." He also noted that the Secret Service allowed him entry without checking identification.
By May 23, 2020, with a reported 20 percent overnight increase in cases, Fauci allegedly wrote about the White House being "very upset that I am being profiled and it looks like I am putting down the POTUS and becoming a star that outshines him."
Post-election entries, following November 2020, reportedly show less attention to death tolls but continued documentation of celebrity praise. The column mentions notes from figures like Barbara Bush, and an "amazing video" from the Kennedy Center for his 80th birthday featuring numerous celebrities offering congratulations. Notes from Joe and Jill Biden, Dick Cheney, and Mike Pence are also cited.
By June 2022, Fauci had received numerous honors, including his 58th honorary doctorate. Upon his retirement as Biden’s adviser in August 2022, he recorded praise from White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, who reportedly called him "one of the most important public servants in the history of the country."
Additional information released by Sen. Rand Paul's office, ahead of a Capitol Hill appearance by Fauci, suggests that Fauci also sought nominations for substantial monetary awards from scientists to whom he had awarded government grants. Paul characterized these prizes as worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, including one foreign prize valued at $900,000.
Devine's column suggests that these diary entries, alongside his memoir "On Call: A Doctor’s Journey in Public Service," indicate a pattern of self-promotion and a focus on accolades throughout his career, which began at the National Institutes of Health in 1964.