Fauci pressed Pence for more TV appearances as fame exploded

Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment rather than answer senators’ questions this week about his conduct during the COVID-19 pandemic.But in the 1,141-page private diary released before that hearing, the former top infectious disease official had plenty to say about the press, his celebrity, his enemies on the “far right,” and his frustration with White House aides who would not put him on television.The diary, released by Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul (R-KY), lays bare a central tension inside President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 response. Fauci campaigned for more airtime as his national fame exploded, and made repeated efforts to lean on then-Vice President Mike Pence and a handful of trusted Trump administration officials to get him booked on major television shows.

Former National Institutes of Health Director Anthony Fauci is sworn in during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing on July 29, 2026, in Washington. (Graeme Jennings/Washington Examiner)

A Washington Examiner review found the word “press” appears nearly 1,400 times in the 1,141-page diary package, including in Fauci’s entries, media clippings, and interview lists. Variations of “conspiracy” appear more than 40 times. The phrases “far right” and “far-right” appear at least 57 times, revealing that Fauci was privately demonizing his critics while purporting to be a neutral figure.The disclosures take on added relevance after Fauci declined to answer questions throughout Wednesday’s Senate hearing, citing the Fifth Amendment despite former President Joe Biden’s blanket pardon. Paul said afterward that the committee would move toward a contempt vote next week.During one exchange at the hearing, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) ridiculed Fauci for answering lifestyle magazine questions during the pandemic while now declining to answer Congress. Hawley specifically highlighted Fauci’s 2020 InStyle interview and accused him of pursuing celebrity, cash awards, and power.Diary logs reinforce Hawley’s line of criticism