New questions about Dr. Anthony Fauci’s role in managing the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States have been raised by reports citing excerpts from his personal diary. In those entries, he allegedly describes having played an active role in decisions on restrictive measures, contradicting his public statements in which he denied any involvement.

During the pandemic, Fauci was director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and one of the most recognizable scientific advisers to the U.S. government. He repeatedly stated that he was not the person who proposed or imposed lockdowns or school closures. However, according to excerpts from his personal diary that have been made public, his notes from 2020 paint a different picture.

Fauci also describes how he had become one of the most recognizable people in the world. “The situation with my fame, nationally and internationally, is explosive and truly incomprehensible,” he wrote in one diary entry. “It is not an exaggeration to say that today I am the most famous and talked-about person in the country and one of the most recognizable people in the world,” he added, basking in his own celebrity.

“Big Day!” – The Entry About Closing Schools in New York

On March 15, 2020, Fauci reportedly wrote the words “BIG DAY!” in red letters and referred to a telephone conversation with then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. According to his notes, Fauci wrote that he had “convinced” de Blasio, based on his public statements and their discussion, to proceed with closing the city’s schools.

“He had already made up his mind based on what I was saying on television,” Fauci reportedly wrote, while also describing a similar conversation with Ann O’Leary, an aide to California Governor Gavin Newsom. In the same diary entry, according to the reports, he noted that his television appearances had influenced California’s decision to close schools, bars, and restaurants.

He Denied It All

These diary references conflict with statements Fauci made in subsequent years.

In an interview with ABC News in October 2022, he denied having any direct responsibility for school closures.

“They always come back and say, ‘Fauci was responsible for closing the schools.’ I had nothing to do with it,” he said.

That same year, in an interview with The Hill, he maintained that “I didn’t recommend any lockdown measures.”

He took the same position during his testimony before the House Oversight Committee in January 2024, when he stated that “I didn’t close the schools” and that he had become a political target for decisions he did not make.

References to Business Closures and Restrictions

The published diary excerpts also include references to discussions about closing businesses and imposing stricter COVID-19 measures.

In an entry dated March 15, 2020, Fauci reportedly wrote that he advised de Blasio to close New York City’s bars and restaurants.

Five days later, according to the notes, he wrote that he advised the mayor to place the entire city under quarantine, despite objections from then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

On March 29, 2020, Fauci also described a meeting with then-President Donald Trump during which, according to his account, he tried to persuade the president to extend the restrictive measures.

In his notes, he described the outcome of the discussion positively because, as he wrote, the “president agreed to extend the measures instead of ending them early.”

The Los Angeles Case

On November 28, 2020, there is another diary entry concerning Fauci’s communication with Mark Ghaly, a Los Angeles health official.

According to the diary, Ghaly asked for Fauci’s support in imposing a three-week lockdown because of rising case numbers and fears that hospitals would become overwhelmed.

“I agreed to support him,” Fauci reportedly wrote.

However, in this case as well, Fauci stated in 2022 that he had not recommended lockdowns.

His 2020 Statement About Shutting Down the Country

Despite his later denials, Fauci stated in an October 2020 interview with CBS News that he had advised President Trump to shut down the country once community transmission of the virus had been identified.

“I recommended to the president that we shut the country down,” he said.