Senator Rand Paul has released an 1,100-page document containing entries from Dr. Anthony Fauci’s diary during his tenure as the nation’s leader in the U.S. response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The document reveals at least two key themes: first, that Fauci’s public statements about the origins of the virus did not align with the views of many experts he interacted with; second, that Fauci took great pleasure in the international fame he garnered during his role as the nation’s health authority.
Paul released the document just days before Fauci is scheduled to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, chaired by Paul himself.
According to the diary entries, Fauci became aware early in the pandemic that the virus could have originated from gain-of-function laboratory research. On January 31, 2020, he participated in a call with three scientists who were discussing deliberate insertions of genetic material and whether the virus had escaped from a lab.
The next day, Fauci convened another meeting with scientists and Health and Human Services officials. Only two individuals argued for a natural origin of the virus, yet Fauci championed the narrative of natural origins in public communications.
The document also details a July 7, 2021, meeting between Fauci and intelligence officials who believed the virus came from a lab. After this meeting, Fauci allegedly directed scientists pushing the natural origins theory to influence the FBI to adopt that view as well. Paul stated: “We know that the initial estimate by the scientists at the CIA was that this came from the lab. They agreed with our supposition, but Anthony Fauci was able to coerce, cajole, persuade, and dangle money to get people in the intelligence community to change their vote.”
Diary entries further show Fauci’s enjoyment of public adulation. On March 5, 2020, he wrote: “I am pretty safe, I believe since the public adulation of me has been amazing with every young intern as well as seasoned veteran in the WH coming over to me congratulating me and thanking me for my work and even asking for selfies.”
On March 21, Fauci noted a Washington Post profile that he described as “very flattering,” stating: “The situation with my national and international fame is explosive and really unimaginable. It is not hyperbole to say that today I am the most famous and talked about person in the country and one of the most recognizable person in the world.”
Paul has also criticized Fauci’s pardon from President Biden, noting it covers over 10 years without specific crimes and questioning whether Biden was aware of Fauci’s role when granting the pardon.