Devine: Fauci Was the ‘Big Head’ of Failed COVID Response
Former White House health adviser Anthony Fauci's private diary entries reveal an obsession with celebrity praise and media appearances during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to documents released by Senator Rand Paul.
The embarrassing revelations come from a bombshell document release by Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, who chairs the Senate oversight committee and published what he identified as Fauci’s diary spanning December 2019 through December 2022, according to Miranda Devine writing in New York Post. Fauci is scheduled to testify under oath before the committee this week.
The diary entries reveal a bureaucrat consumed by his own rising media profile while the nation faced unprecedented health challenges. Rather than focusing exclusively on the pandemic response, Fauci devoted considerable energy to recording praise from celebrities, media appearances, and his status as what he called the most famous person in the country.
Celebrity Worship and Media Obsession
In a March 4, 2020 entry, after recording 108 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths in the United States, Fauci wrote about widespread praise following a favorable profile in Politico. He noted White House interns and veterans congratulating him, thanking him, and requesting selfies.
The diary documents Fauci’s appearance on all five major Sunday political talk shows on March 15, 2020, which he proudly labeled his third complete sweep of the Sunday show circuit. The entries reveal an individual tracking media attention with the same diligence one might expect to be directed toward disease containment.
By May 21, 2020, with global deaths reaching 9,800 and 272 deaths in the United States, Fauci recorded a front-page Washington Post article about himself. In the same entry, he claimed without exaggeration to be the most famous person in the country and one of the most recognizable people in the world, noting that Secret Service personnel no longer checked his identification at White House gates.
Power and Influence
The diary entries also document Fauci’s significant influence over major policy decisions. He recorded convincing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to close city schools, bars, and restaurants based on his public statements and personal recommendation during a phone conversation.
However, by May 23, 2020, Fauci noted White House displeasure with his media profiles, suggesting concern that he was overshadowing the President and appearing to criticize the administration.
A Catalog of Famous Admirers
Following the November 2020 election, Fauci’s diary became less focused on death statistics but continued recording celebrity praise with meticulous detail. The entries list numerous Hollywood figures who honored him for his 80th birthday through a Kennedy Center video, including Orlando Bloom, Mila Kunis, Ashton Kutcher, Amy Poehler, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Buscemi, and Magic Johnson.
The diary documents notes from Barbra Streisand expressing appreciation for his work, while Julia Roberts reportedly called him her personal hero. Joe and Jill Biden sent cookies and a note in March 2020 calling him their hero. Even former Vice President Dick Cheney called to thank him, while then-Vice President Mike Pence told him he was the most visible and trusted asset in the country.
By June 2022, Fauci recorded receiving his 58th honorary doctorate, describing the spring as extraordinary due to the honors bestowed upon him.
Spelling Errors and Credibility Questions
Beyond the vanity, the diary entries contain numerous spelling errors that raise questions about the former health official’s attention to detail. Words like “dissuaded” appeared as “dyswaded,” while “hyperbole” and “person” were also misspelled in entries focused on his global fame.
Senator Paul has long accused Fauci of involvement in covering up COVID-19’s origins and potentially outsourcing dangerous bat virus research to China. The diary release comes as Fauci prepares to face renewed questioning under oath about his handling of the pandemic and knowledge of the virus’s emergence.
The contrast between Fauci’s public image as a dedicated scientist and his private preoccupation with celebrity status threatens to undermine whatever remained of his credibility following previous revelations about his pandemic response and research funding decisions.
With information from New York Post
