By Dr. Anthony Fauci privately called for President Donald Trump to be impeached over his push for a border wall during his first term, according to newly released diary entries that offer another glimpse into the political views of the former government health official.
Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., released the previously unpublished writings Wednesday as part of his continuing investigation into Fauci, the origins of COVID-19 and federally funded infectious disease research. The records, covering 2015 through 2019, show that Fauci’s opposition to Trump began well before the pandemic made him one of the country’s most recognizable public officials.
In January 2019, during a partial government shutdown caused by a dispute over funding for Trump’s proposed border wall, Fauci wrote that the president should be removed from office.
“Trump insisting on $5 billion for his wall on Mexico border. He is acting more and more bizarre. Should be impeached, but Dems are rightfully concerned that this will galvanize his base,” Fauci wrote.
The comments came nearly a year before the House first impeached Trump in December 2019, explained The Daily Caller. At the time of Fauci’s entry, the infectious disease expert was leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a position he would continue to hold throughout Trump’s first administration.
The newly released documents also show Fauci criticizing Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, including his debate performances and the controversy surrounding the release of the Access Hollywood recording. Fauci continued documenting his objections after Trump entered the White House, criticizing the new president’s conduct during his first days in office.
As New Conservative Post previously reported, Paul has argued that Fauci should face criminal consequences over federal funding for risky coronavirus research. Fauci has denied that his agency funded research responsible for creating the pandemic virus and has disputed accusations that he misled Congress.
The conflict intensified in July when Fauci appeared before Paul’s Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Fauci accused Paul of pursuing a politically motivated investigation, while the Kentucky Republican continued demanding answers about the government’s handling of the pandemic and its origins.
In 2015, the World Health Organization announced promising results from an experimental Ebola vaccine, reporting “up to 100% efficacy in individuals.” Fauci, however, privately questioned the reliability of the clinical trial that produced those findings.
He described “multiple flaws in the design and the analysis of the data” and concluded that the experiment suffered from a “terribly flawed study design.”
“The data, strictly speaking, are not statistically significant. Bottom line is that we are dealing with an inherently good and effective vaccine that was put into a terribly flawed study design … Such is life….” Fauci wrote.
Despite those concerns, Paul’s staff said Fauci publicly praised the vaccine during interviews with CNN, the BBC, PBS and The New York Times. His private writings suggested he was concerned about the political and institutional consequences of openly challenging the research.
“We cannot criticize the study since that is exactly what the press is looking for and that will create tension between HHS and WHO. HHS is too stupid to realize that,” Fauci wrote.
The diary does not explain why Fauci believed the vaccine was effective despite criticizing the study’s statistical findings. The records also describe disagreements with HHS communications officials who attempted to exercise greater control over his television appearances.
In August, New Conservative Post reported that Fauci had instructed an aide in 2012 to permanently delete an email concerning controversial bird-flu research. The publication also reported that David Morens, Fauci’s longtime senior adviser, pleaded guilty to conspiring to conceal federal records involving coronavirus research and the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Prosecutors have not accused Fauci of participating in Morens’ conspiracy.
Paul’s committee has also released records from a 2016 U.S. military Ebola experiment in which vaccinated primates developed lung injuries after exposure to an aerosolized version of the virus. The findings raised concerns among researchers, although the documents do not conclusively identify every vaccine candidate tested.
Paul has continued using the records to challenge Fauci’s handling of federal research programs and his public statements about scientific controversies. The former health official, who became a leading voice in Trump’s pandemic response, now faces renewed scrutiny over private writings showing that he had called for the president’s impeachment before the two men began working together during the COVID-19 emergency.
