After almost four decades: “America’s Doctor” Fauci is retiring

Anthony Fauci has served the American people for almost four decades and has seen seven presidents come and go: Now the chief epidemiologist is retiring. During his tenure, he received both praise and hostility.

He is one of the most respected and at the same time most hated personalities in the USA: Anthony Fauci, nicknamed “Americas Doctor”. For almost 40 years he was the man who, as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, explained to Americans the dangers of viruses such as HIV, Ebola, SARS and of course Corona and promoted vaccinations, masks and, if necessary, lockdowns. As a result, he became a hated figure in the right-wing political camp. Fauci is now retiring at the age of 81. The Republicans in Congress do not want to let him go in peace.

Anthony Fauci’s last official working days are hardly any different than the past 1000 since the beginning of the corona pandemic. The gray hair parted cleanly, the water-blue eyes wide awake and now mostly without a mask, the petite 81-year-old with the unmistakable New York accent gives one interview after the next on the current health situation.

This is not good news: The hospitals are at the limit of their capacity and the children’s clinics and practices are overwhelmed because, in addition to Corona, the RS virus and the flu are also raging. Like a mantra, Fauci repeats his constant message, for example on CNN: “We must get people to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their families and society at large!”

The top plague officer for seven presidents

In 1968, the then 28-year-old was hired by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in suburban Washington. He was its boss for 38 years. The immunologist was one of the first to recognize the danger posed by HIV and advanced to become one of the most cited scientists in the USA. Over the course of his career, Fauci has advised seven US Presidents, from Ronald Reagan to Joe Biden.

But no one has been as difficult as Donald Trump, Fauci conceded. For example, when Trump wanted to stylize the rheumatism drug hydroxychloroquine as a silver bullet against Corona, the scientist audibly squirmed: “The President feels optimistic about something, he feels it. I say: It can be effective, I’m not saying that it isn’t But as a scientist I say: We have to collect data on whether it is really effective and safe with Covid19.”

Why didn’t he just clearly contradict Trump? Out of respect for the presidency – and because he believed that he would only benefit the public if he kept his job, said Fauci. Nevertheless, he became a stimulus figure for the Republicans. They blamed him personally for lockdowns and the economic crisis.

Many thank him – many curse him

Typical exchange of blows with Republican representative Jim Jordan in the spring of 2021 at a congressional hearing. He wanted to know exactly what had to happen for the Americans to regain their freedom. Fauci’s answer: For him it’s not a question of freedom, but how to prevent people from dying or ending up in the hospital. Jordan said, “You don’t think American liberties have been threatened in the past year, Dr Fauci? Your freedom has been attacked!”

Many U.S. front yards still have “Thank you, Fauci” signs to this day. There are Fauci t-shirts and cocktails. But there are also death threats: In the summer, a West Virginia man was sentenced to three years in prison for threatening to kill Fauci via email. A few days ago, Twitter boss Elon Musk called for “Prosecute/Fauci”, i.e. a lawsuit against the scientist. He doesn’t really care about these personal hostilities, Fauci explained in the BBC podcast “Americast”.

What really bothers him is that “these trolls also bully my wife and children. I find it so cowardly when these people bully people who have nothing to do with it, like my children.” That just shows what kind of scum do something like that, according to Fauci.

Don’t confuse retirement with rest

Even in retirement, the Republicans in Congress will not leave him alone and want to summon him again: because he has covered up the truth about the origins of Corona, and is perhaps even partly responsible for the outbreak of the pandemic. Even if there is no evidence for this so far. Of course he would testify, Fauci promised at his last appearance as Biden’s pandemic advisor at the White House in November. Others should judge the value of his work. But: “Americans should know: I’ve given my all every day over the years.”