Fauci: ‘Nobody’s Perfect, But I Don’t Think I’m a Horrible Person’

Anthony Fauci, M.D., one of the most recognizable faces of the COVID-19 pandemic, pointed to the far right and his disagreements with former President Donald Trump for the negative reputation he earned among some Republicans in a recent interview with Science.

Dr. Fauci had served as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) since 1984, but became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He has drawn the ire of many mainstream Republicans, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) all of whom have called for investigations or prosecutions of the former NIAID director. 

Dr. Fauci has largely dismissed these accusations, even referring to them as “craziness” earlier this year.

He has also been the target of far-right and anti-vaccine activists, having faced death threats, and other abuse on social media.

Dr. Fauci left the NIAD at the end of last year, though he has not retired. In July, Georgetown University announced the doctor would join the faculty as a distinguished university professor. But being away from government work seems to have given him plenty of time to think about his legacy after the pandemic.

“I have thought about [the hate received] a lot. And I think it really is just the right, subtle set of things coming in at the same time,” he told Science. “I don’t think it is anything about me and my personality. I mean nobody’s perfect, but I don’t think I’m a horrible person.”

He said that his status before the pandemic, a largely unknown figure who drew little attention, is evidence he may not quite be a bad person.

“There’s a 78-year control,” he said, referring to his life before the pandemic, when he was not a widely hated figure. “But I think it was multiple factors. The far radical right was angry, and when people are angry, they need to channel their anger, otherwise it fizzles out. You have to have a devil.” 

However, the pandemic wasn’t actually the first time Dr. Fauci courted controversy. Earlier in his career, LGBTQ+ activists blamed him for government inaction during the 1980s AIDS crisis, claiming he did not care about the struggle of sexual minorities.

During the COVID pandemic, some saw him as a comforting and informative face, while others believed him to be fear-mongering. While President Trump downplayed the severity of COVID, Dr. Fauci was often quick to disagree.

“I was trying my very best to get people to take the virus seriously when the president was not taking it seriously,” he said. “When the vaccine came, I was telling people to get vaccinated because it’s lifesaving. I was the person who was on television almost every night who wasn’t afraid to tell it like it is… I happened to be the guy that really pissed off the far right, by being the person who spoke up against [Trump].”

Interestingly, Dr. Fauci said that while Trump’s staff clashed with him, the president himself was friendly.

“The president was very little fazed. After I would say [he was wrong], he would be just as friendly to me. The staff around him went crazy,” he continued.

“There were a lot of good people in the Trump White House. Let me get that clear. But some perceived it as, I went up against the Great One,” he added.