“I am announcing today that I will be stepping down as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and head of the NIAID Immunoregulatory Laboratory, as well as chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden. I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career,” Fauci said.
Fauci, 81, has served at NIAID for 38 years beginning in former President Ronald Reagan’s administration, a role in which he helped lead the United States’ response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, as well as to West Nile virus, anthrax attacks, pandemic flu, various bird flu threats, Ebola and Zika. He became one of the most public faces of the federal response to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Biden praised Fauci’s work in a statement, noting his “unwavering” commitment to the work, as well as his “unmatched spirit, energy and scientific integrity.”
“Because of Dr. Fauci’s many contributions to public health, lives have been saved here in the United States and around the world. When he leaves his post in the US government, I know that the American people and the entire world they will continue to benefit from Dr. Fauci’s expertise in whatever he does next,” Biden said.
Biden added: “Whether you have met him personally or not, he has touched the lives of all Americans through his work. I extend my deepest gratitude for his public service. The United States of America is more stronger, more resilient and healthier because of it.”
Fauci said in his statement that he is “not retiring” and that he will “continue to advance science and public health and inspire and guide the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to meet future infectious disease threats “.
Fauci and then-President Donald Trump disagreed publicly on how to approach the pandemic, what was the right message to the American people and how to balance reopening with preventing further contagion. Still, Trump insisted he respected Fauci but disagreed with his approach.
But at the lowest point in their relationship, Trump suggested he was considering firing the doctor. Attacks by Trump allies boosted Fauci’s confidence.
In 2020, Fauci told CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta that he needed security protection after his family received death threats and harassment.
Fauci told CNN last month that political pressures did not influence his decision to leave his role.
“It has nothing to do with pressures, nothing to do with all the other nonsense you hear about, all the spikes and slings and arrows. That has no bearing on me,” he said.
This story has been updated with additional reporting.