CNN anchor Jake Tapper texted Dr. Anthony Fauci to mock Fox News host Laura Ingraham's intelligence during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to diary entries released by Senator Rand Paul.
In April 2020, after Ingraham drew a comparison between COVID-19 and viruses without vaccines, such as HIV, on her show, Tapper texted Fauci. Fauci, in his diary, recounted Tapper's sarcastic message: "Hard to believe Paura [sic] Ingraham went to Dartmouth, isn't it. All of us alumni are very proud." Fauci framed the exchange as "my Laura Ingraham hit."
Earlier that week, Tapper had called Fauci to ensure an interview they had conducted on CNN did not cause the doctor any problems. Fauci's diary entries detail a developing friendship with Tapper, including attending dinner at Tapper's home in July 2020 and another dinner in October of that year. Fauci also noted Tapper's anger toward then-President Trump for criticizing the CNN anchor's reporting on the rollout of COVID-19 testing kits.
Fauci's diary entries, which span until December 2022, also reflect his own experiences with growing public attention during the pandemic. He wrote of being "punch drunk over the sudden rush of attention" in March and May 2020, noting flattering profiles in major newspapers and the White House's alleged displeasure with his rising public profile. By December 2022, he noted that the "far, extreme right and Qanon literally hate me."
Senator Rand Paul, who released the diary entries, has previously accused Fauci of funding laboratories in China involved in virus manipulation and of avoiding testimony. Fauci, 85, retired from federal service in December 2022. The origins of COVID-19 remain a subject of investigation, with theories including a laboratory incident and natural zoonotic transmission.