Dr. Brett Giroir, who served as assistant secretary for health under President Donald Trump, publicly rebuked Dr. Anthony Fauci on Tuesday over recently released diary entries that he says reveal a troubling self-absorption during the height of the COVID-19 crisis.
Speaking with NewsNation's Blake Burman on “The Hill,” Giroir called for Fauci to come clean about contradictions in his public and private statements. “I'd like to see honesty and transparency and I'd like Tony to come clean with all the things that he's really been caught in contradictions,” Giroir said. “And yes, I'm shocked by his unabashed narcissism, you know, worrying about his fame when all of us were worrying about the 1,000 or 2,000 people dying the next day. It's really kind of sickening.”
The remarks come just a day before Fauci is set to face a grueling Senate hearing, where lawmakers are expected to press him on the disclosures. The diary pages were released by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who has long been a vocal critic of Fauci's handling of the pandemic. Paul made public over 1,000 pages of Fauci's private journal entries from early 2020, arguing they show a disconnect between Fauci's public reassurances and private doubts about the virus's origins.
In one entry dated May 21, 2020, Fauci wrote: “The situation with my national and international fame is explosive and really unimaginable. It is not hyperbole to say that today I am the most famous and talked about person in the country and one of the most recognizable person in the world.” The passage, which Giroir pointed to as evidence of narcissism, has drawn sharp criticism from both political opponents and some former colleagues.
Fauci was a central figure in the Trump administration's pandemic response, appearing regularly in the White House briefing room and on television. His diaries frequently mention media coverage, including a “very flattering” Washington Post article from spring 2020. Critics say the entries show a leader more focused on his public image than on the mounting death toll.
Giroir, however, urged restraint in focusing solely on the salacious details. “I don't think we need to be that salacious. I want to get down to the issues,” he said, emphasizing the need for clarity on Fauci's role in shaping lockdown policies and his private communications about the virus's origins.
The hearing on Wednesday is expected to be a major event, with Comer warning that Biden's pardon does not shield Fauci's testimony. Paul has also released additional documents suggesting Fauci's diaries reveal doubts on COVID origins, Trump tensions, and lockdown influence.
Fauci has not publicly responded to the latest criticisms, but his allies argue that the diary entries are taken out of context and reflect the immense pressure he faced during the pandemic. The hearing is likely to reignite debates over the government's pandemic response and Fauci's legacy.
As the political world watches closely, Giroir's comments underscore the deepening partisan divide over Fauci's conduct. The former Trump official's call for transparency may resonate with skeptics, but it remains to be seen whether the hearing will produce new revelations or simply more political theater.
