More than 1,500 pages of personal diary entries written by Dr. Anthony Fauci have been made public following a subpoena. These documents, which span from 2001 to 2015 and from January 2020 through December 2022, provide an inside look at the former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director’s thoughts on the COVID-19 pandemic, his strained relationship with former President Donald Trump, and his own unexpected rise to global celebrity. The records were released by U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky. During a Senate hearing on July 29, Fauci repeatedly invoked his 5th Amendment constitutional right against self-incrimination regarding the contents of his tenure.
Fauci, who served seven American presidents and led his institute for over four decades before resigning in 2022, became a household name as the public face of the U.S. pandemic response. The World Health Organization estimates that the pandemic has claimed more than 7 million lives globally, with 1.2 million of those deaths occurring in the United States. In his writings, Fauci documented the early days of the crisis, noting on January 3, 2020, that he was tracking “unusual cases of pneumonia” in Wuhan. By late January 2020, he was already grappling with “conspiracy theories” regarding the virus's origins, including whether it was manufactured and released intentionally or unintentionally. He noted at the time that he suggested convening a group of qualified evolutionary biologists and virologists to carefully examine these possibilities.
Throughout 2021, Fauci faced persistent pressure from Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Paul, regarding the origins of the virus. Fauci consistently maintained that it was “molecularly impossible” for U.S. funding provided to the Wuhan Institute of Virology to have created the virus. In August 2021, he addressed ongoing claims from House Republicans that a lab leak was responsible, stating these assertions were “based on no new information or data.” He further wrote on August 2, 2021, that the focus on his role was “plain and simple a concerted effort aimed at getting trump reelected and exonerating him from any blame in the complete mess up of his response to COVID-19.” While a 2022 study suggested the virus originated in animals at a seafood market, a 2025 report from the World Health Organization noted a need for more information that China has not provided. Additionally, the CIA stated in 2025 that it was “more likely” the virus came from a lab, though it assigned “low confidence” to that assessment.
School closures emerged as a significant point of contention in Fauci’s diary. In mid-March 2020, as cities and states began implementing lockdowns, Fauci discussed the necessity of closing schools with then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Shortly thereafter, he formulated a 15-day “more aggressive mitigation” strategy that included school closures. He also engaged in conversations with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who initially pushed to keep schools open but later indicated he was evaluating the situation. Fauci later clarified to Mark Meadows, the president's top aide, that he never advocated for keeping schools closed indefinitely, but rather that a vaccine should be ready for when they reopened. By early July 2020, Fauci wrote, "Trump wants to open the schools at all costs. Clearly he does not care about the safety of the chidren.” By August, he acknowledged that the default position should be to reopen schools due to the “psychological effects on children” and the reliance of many students on school meals, though he maintained that decisions should be based on local infection levels rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
The diary entries also reveal deep personal frustration with Donald Trump. Fauci described the former president as “out of control,” a “true embarrassment,” and a “very strange guy.” On May 22, 2020, he wrote that Trump was “desperate” to reopen the country before the election. In a July 28, 2020, entry, he noted that while Trump was “Okay” with him in person, the president would simultaneously retweet attacks against him. Days before the 2020 election, on October 15, Fauci wrote: "As the election nears, the cases increase and surges are inevitable as we enter cooler weather. Trump is on the campaign trail spewing nonsense. He is really out of control. A true embarrassment."
Reflecting on his sudden fame, Fauci noted on April 7, 2020, that the press was “still hot and heavy” about him. By May 21, 2020, he described his national and international recognition as “explosive and really unimaginable,” adding, “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.” This fame placed him at the center of intense public scrutiny that has persisted years after the height of the pandemic.
