Fauci diary reveals private criticism of Trump as 'obnoxious adolescent' during pandemic

Jul 27, 2026

The release of Dr. Anthony Fauci's private diaries by Sen. Rand Paul reveals stark contrasts between his private assessments and public statements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Entries show Fauci privately estimated a much lower fatality rate (0.2-0.3%) than he stated publicly, took credit for school closures he later disavowed, and doubted the 'wet market' origin theory early on. The diary also contains sharp criticism of Donald Trump, calling him an 'idiot'.

COVID fatality rate discrepancies

▪In a Feb. 8, 2020 diary entry, Anthony Fauci assessed the COVID-19 case fatality rate to be "more like 0.2-0.3 % rather than 2.0%."
▪In his diary, Anthony Fauci described President Donald Trump as an "obnoxious adolescent," "an idiot," and a "true embarrassment."
▪On March 10, 2020, Anthony Fauci publicly stated on Hannity that COVID-19's mortality was "about 2, 2.5 percent," later revising it to "probably closer to 1 percent."
▪Testifying to Congress on March 11, 2020, Anthony Fauci said COVID-19's mortality rate was around 1%, making it "10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu."
▪In a May 21, 2020 entry, Anthony Fauci wrote of his own fame, stating it was not "hyperbole to say that today I am the most famous and talked about person in the country."

Lab leak theory

▪In the same Jan. 26, 2020 entry, Anthony Fauci noted that data indicated "the first infection was in early December and was not connected to the market."
▪In a Jan. 26, 2020 diary entry, Anthony Fauci wrote that the Wuhan wet market "was not the source, it was the amplifier" for the COVID-19 outbreak.
▪Senator Rand Paul released over 1,000 pages of Anthony Fauci's diary entries from December 2019 to December 2022.

School closure advocacy

▪In a March 15, 2020 diary entry, Anthony Fauci wrote that he convinced then-NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio to close the city's schools.
▪On May 22, 2020, Anthony Fauci wrote that Donald Trump was "getting out of control in pushing to open up the country" for re-election purposes.
▪In the same entry, Anthony Fauci noted that California Governor Gavin Newsom's chief of staff said the governor decided to close schools based on Fauci's TV appearances.
▪In July 2022, Anthony Fauci publicly claimed, "I didn’t recommend locking anything down."

Vaccine effectiveness concerns

▪The month prior, in October 2021, Anthony Fauci had stated on television that vaccination was a key way to reduce new COVID-19 cases.
▪In a Nov. 17, 2021 diary entry, a vaccinated Anthony Fauci expressed worry about getting infected with COVID-19 after attending a crowded indoor book party.
▪Anthony Fauci wrote on Nov. 17, 2021, "I’m well aware that many people who are vaccinated are still getting infected and that worried me a lot."

Gain-of-function research

▪In spring 2021, Anthony Fauci told lawmakers that the NIH "has not ever and does not now fund gain-of-function research in the Wuhan Institute of Virology."
▪Anthony Fauci's diary noted a Feb. 1, 2020 conference call summary stating Dr. Zheng-Li Shi in Wuhan had been working on gain-of-function research in coronaviruses.