Newly released documents indicate that Dr. Anthony Fauci sharply criticized President Donald Trump in his personal COVID-era diary. According to the material, Fauci described Trump as "out of control," "a true embarrassment" and "an idiot" while serving as the country’s top infectious disease expert in 2020.
The diary entries add a personal layer to the public tensions that surrounded the federal response to the coronavirus pandemic. Fauci was one of the most visible medical officials in the United States during that period, and the notes suggest he recorded deep frustration with Trump behind the scenes.
Because the writings come from Fauci’s own diary, the release is likely to draw fresh attention to the relationship between the White House and public health leadership during the height of COVID-19. The documents point to how intensely Fauci viewed Trump’s conduct as the administration faced a fast-moving national crisis.
The disclosures also offer another window into how senior officials privately processed the pandemic while carrying out their public roles. In this case, Fauci’s diary appears to capture just how severe his judgment of Trump had become during one of the most contentious periods of the COVID response.
