The newly released diary pages of Dr. Anthony Fauci, turned over by Senate Homeland Security Chairman Rand Paul ahead of Fauci’s subpoenaed testimony, deliver a blunt, behind-the-scenes look at how the nation’s top infectious disease official saw the power players, media figures and celebrities who crowded the pandemic stage. The notes trace daily meetings, phone calls and offhand observations that reveal shifting alliances inside the White House, cozy TV relationships and a surprising taste for celebrity attention as the crisis unfolded. These pages make clear that Fauci’s public role came with a private orbit full of influence, frustration and, at times, frank language.
The diaries show an initially collegial working relationship with President Donald Trump, with Fauci recording Trump tagging him for questions and flattering him as “the smartest person in the world.” At the same time Trump told him, “We are counting on you,” Fauci’s entries suggest his public standing expanded rapidly and visibly. That rise in profile is a thread running through the journals, sometimes bumping up against political friction.
Inside the West Wing, Fauci’s rapport with staff was uneven and got worse with some. He wrote that White House chief of staff Mark Meadows pressured him and threatened to keep him off television, even “screaming” about his public comments, while Alyssa Farah is described as a helpful inside contact who admitted officials had been “holding me back” and promised to clear media access. The private skirmishes over messaging show how pandemic science and political priorities regularly crashed into each other.
Fauci’s frustration with certain administration communicators came through in blunt terms. In his notes he labeled then-HHS assistant secretary Michael Caputo “a con man who is completely full of sh–,” accusing Caputo of publicly praising his interviews while privately blocking them. Those kinds of lines underline the internal tensions over who controlled the pandemic narrative and how much freedom the nation’s chief infectious disease adviser would have to speak to the public.
The diaries also read like a map of media relationships, with CNN anchor Jake Tapper appearing frequently in entries about calls, texts and even dinner invitations. Fauci recorded Tapper checking after interviews to ensure there were no White House problems, and his back-and-forth with other journalists included at least one scorching exchange where Fauci wrote, “F— you, Peter.” That raw language makes the pages feel less like official notes and more like a personal record of a man in the thick of nonstop scrutiny.
Fauci’s interactions with other TV figures were equally revealing. He noted Dana Bash texting him that he was “a better man” after a clash with Rep. Jim Jordan, and that Wolf Blitzer joked no one would have blamed Fauci if he had told Jordan to “go f— yourself.” Bash then pointed him to a Vanity Fair headline mocking Jordan’s performance the next day. These entries show how media players were not just reporters but participants, shaping the aftermath of high-profile congressional clashes.
The entries take unexpected detours into tech and celebrity influence as well. Fauci described Oracle founder Larry Ellison as “a bit of a loose cannon” when mentioning efforts to use Oracle technology during the pandemic, suggesting that private-sector muscle sometimes came with unpredictable personalities. At the same time his diary catalogues a steady flow of Hollywood and cultural figures who reached out or invited him into their circles during the crisis.
That celebrity list reads like a who’s who of modern influence: Julia Roberts hosted him on Instagram Live, sent flowers and later presented an award; Vogue editor Anna Wintour, comedian Trevor Noah, NBA star Steph Curry, actors Sean Penn and Matt Damon, and rapper Lil Wayne all show up in diary entries. The pages imply Fauci’s public role carried a level of celebrity access that blurred the lines between scientific advisor and cultural figure, even as the country grappled with rising death counts.
The diaries close with a telling social cameo at the 2022 Kennedy Center Honors, where Fauci recorded hugging Hunter Biden, who joked the internet “would explode” if someone photographed them together because they were both “being attacked by the far right GOP.” That final note ties the personal and the political: even informal interactions were quickly seen through partisan lenses, and the diaries show how public servants and political families ended up wrapped together in controversy and commentary.
Taken as a whole, the diary pages paint a picture of a public health leader operating in a crowded, combustible arena of politics, media and celebrity. The records raise immediate questions about priorities, access and accountability during a national emergency and set the stage for the upcoming Senate testimony that prompted their release.
