A newly revealed diary from Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, spans more than 1,000 pages and documents a striking self-regard. The entries offer a window into his thinking during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he served as the public face of the U.S. health response.
The diary's content tracks with Fauci's public statements about his own role. He told CBS in November 2021 that critics attacking him were really attacking science itself, "because I represent science."
That declaration became a flashpoint in the national debate over pandemic policy. Critics argued Fauci used his platform to conflate his personal views with scientific consensus.
The diary portrays Fauci as the indispensable leader of the pandemic response — a posture that cast any challenge to official guidance as an attack on science itself.
Several commentators and epidemiologists pushed back on that approach, arguing his statements shut down legitimate scientific debate.
Three epidemiologists from Harvard, Oxford and Stanford published dissenting views just four days after Fauci's CBS interview, offering a direct challenge to his public assertions.
Columnist Cal Thomas pointed to the diary as evidence of Fauci's self-importance, including entries in which Fauci described himself as an "international celebrity."
The diary entries also show Fauci reveling in that celebrity status. He reportedly loved having his picture taken with public figures, including Barbra Streisand.
