BREAKING NEWS
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the embattled director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH) and President Biden’s chief medical adviser, has announced he will step down in December.
Fauci lit up media platforms in July when he announced he would retire at the end of President Biden’s term. Though for a time, he appeared to be rethinking his plans, many believe renewed pressure to step down led him to advance his plan to “pursue the next chapter” of his career as of December 2022.
Fauci noted that though he is leaving government work, he is “not retiring.”
According to Fox News, Fauci made the following statement:
“I am announcing today that I will be stepping down from the positions of Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of 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.”
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to have led the NIAID, an extraordinary institution, for so many years and through so many scientific and public health challenges. I am very proud of our many accomplishments.”
Fauci continued: “I am particularly proud to have served as the Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden since the very first day of his administration.”
“While I am moving on from my current positions, I am not retiring,” Fauci said, noting that “after more than 50 years of government service, I plan to pursue the next phase of my career while I still have so much energy and passion for my field.”
Fauci concluded: “I want to use what I have learned as NIAID Director to continue to advance science and public health and to inspire and mentor the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to face future infectious disease threats.”
Fauci, who became the medical face of the pandemic, has been criticized for the COVID-related policies and restrictions he advocated and the Biden administration advanced.
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), a medical doctor, has been especially critical of Fauci’s conclusions, recommendations and leadership. Fauci seemed to be able to weather those criticisms, but some believe his decision to step down was made after CNN questioned his motives, and MSN reposted a Washington Examiner piece titled “Rand Paul was right about Fauci.”
Fauci pledged to help prepare the Institute for a leadership transition.
Fauci said: “NIH is served by some of the most talented scientists in the world, and I have no doubt that I am leaving this work in very capable hands … thanks to the power of science and investments in research and innovation, the world has been able to fight deadly diseases and help save lives around the globe.”
Fauci continued: “I am proud to have been part of this important work and look forward to helping to continue to do so in the future.”
President Biden praised Fauci on Monday, referring to him as a “dedicated public servant, and a steady hand with wisdom and insight honed over decades at the forefront of some of our most dangerous and challenging public health crises.”
He added: “His commitment to the work is unwavering, and he does it with an unparalleled spirit, energy, and scientific integrity.”
Biden added: “Because of Dr. Fauci’s many contributions to public health, lives here in the United States and around the world have been saved. …The United States of America is stronger, more resilient, and healthier because of him.”
