When he retired, “America’s doctor” Anthony Fauci probably wanted to disappear into a quiet existence and never be held accountable for his role in creating one of the nation’s darkest eras. But one lawmaker appears especially determined to make sure that doesn’t happen.
On Saturday, Senator Rand Paul (R-Ky.) released to the public an 1,100-page document containing entries from Dr. Fauci’s diary during his tenure as the nation’s leader of the Covid-19 response. Paul’s document reveals at least two critical themes: First, what Fauci stated publicly about the virus origins did not align with the views held by many experts he interacted with. Second, Fauci openly reveled in the international fame he achieved during this period.
Paul’s release occurred just days before Fauci is scheduled to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, where Fauci has been subpoenaed to appear—chaired by Paul—on Wednesday.
According to the document, Fauci knew early on that the Covid-19 virus could have resulted from gain-of-function experimentation. On January 31, 2020, he participated in a call with three scientists who were “staring at the furin-cleavage site, discussing deliberate insertion and weighing whether the virus had escaped from a laboratory,” the document states. “Before most Americans knew there was an origins debate, the government’s top infectious-disease official was already confronting the lab scenario.”
The next day, Fauci held a call with scientists and Health and Human Services officials where only two individuals “argued for a natural origin.” Yet Fauci championed the natural origins narrative in public.
Paul’s document details a July 7, 2021, meeting between Fauci and intelligence officials who believed the virus originated in a lab. Following this, Fauci directed scientists advocating for natural origins to influence the FBI to adopt that perspective—a pattern consistent with Paul’s earlier claims on Fox News host Maria Bartiromo. During their conversation, 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. So, a scientific commission within the CIA voted 6 to 1 to say it came from the lab.”
When Bartiromo asked how Fauci persuaded intelligence officials to promote his narrative, Paul explained: “It came down to his power to turn on or off the spigot of government funding. One scientist received an $8 million grant two months after shifting their private stance from lab origins to public acceptance.” Paul further noted Fauci’s deep involvement in global bio-labs and defense research since 9/11, emphasizing his ability to “reverse decisions” among scientists through threats of withheld funding.
The diary entries also underscore Fauci’s narcissistic tendencies. 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 documented his pride after a Washington Post profile: “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 people in the world.”
By March 22, he noted: “Press is going wild with me.” On April 7, 2020, he added: “Press still hot and heavy about me. Multiple stories per day directly or indirectly involving me.”
Paul aims to ensure Fauci faces accountability for his actions. He stated the Biden administration’s pardon—issued over a decade ago without specific crimes—is “a 10-year pardon on non-specific crimes” that warrants legal challenge, questioning whether President Biden was aware of Fauci’s role when granting it. Paul emphasized: “He should be asked about the pardon. If he comes to my committee and obeys the law and the subpoena, we will ask him.”
On Wednesday, cameras will once again turn on Fauci—but this time with less fawning and significantly reduced celebrity appeal.
