Views on Anthony Fauci are polarized. That’s an understatement— they run the range from wanting to have a public trial to a public coronation. Having followed the issue closely, read the diaries, the emails, the slack messages, and the underlying research, I have taken the liberty of drafting an open letter to America that I wish he would write.
-v
From the desk of Anthony S Fauci:
Dear America,
They say history is a merciless judge, and, recognizing that, I wish to correct the record, admit my mistakes, and ask for forgiveness.
Origins of the virus:
First of all, I am sorry for writing a 2011 op-ed called A Flu Risk Worth taking— endorsing gain of function research. In retrospect, trying to stop flu by enhancing it in the laboratory was a misguided strategy. I am sorry about a 2014 grant to the EcoHealth Alliance, with a sub-grant to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. As with any large organization, I didn’t single handedly make the decision to fund this work, but I also didn’t push for a true moratorium. I admit I was wrong about whether or not such work would help or hurt people— it is clear now, it did net damage— but at the time, I was optimistic, like so many in science are.
Second, it is true, the emails reveal, that I knew a lot about the Nature Medicine paper Proximal Origins before it came out. In retrospect, I should have probably just left the debate alone, and let it play out, rather than even risk the appearance of influencing it. That was an error on my part. I do think the slack messages mean the authors did not fully believe what they wrote, ergo I support the paper’s retraction.
Third, let me reiterate, that despite the above 2 points, it was certainly not my intent to contribute directly or indirectly to a global pandemic, and I was not the only one involved in this. Selfishly, I must say that opposition to this research in the US, pushed us towards doing it in China, which was probably a mistake. If we are going to do risky science, better not to do it in an uncertain nation.
Masks:
Ok, what can I say, I panicked. Obviously, I was up to speed with the randomized data showing negligible (at best) value of masking, and initially I tried to be honest. (Remember my 60 min interview in March)
But the people around me were keen on doing it, and I didn’t think it was that big a deal, so I went with it. In retrospect, I should have said no to masking young kids, and mandates, and made it more optional, and stressed that the effect size was close to zero, but I figured people wouldn’t listen unless I pushed it hard. So I went hard. Ok, double masking was a bit much. I got caught up in it. Had to stick it to my detractors. I didn’t appreciate how irritated it would make so many of you— how politicized it would get. Mea culpa.
School closure:
I know that recently I have been saying that I did not close schools, but my diary entries reveal that I played a key role in that decision
Ouch. It’s true this was the single worst decision of the pandemic, and it is true that privately, I pushed for it. I was wrong to oppose Ron DeSantis when he reopened schools in the Spring 2020. I am sorry for getting this one wrong. For what it worth, by 2021, I realized my error and tried to push the other direction, but it was too late.
Vaccines:
Yes, it does look bad that my emails sound like I was rooting against a vaccine pre-election, calling it an October surprise, and yes, it does look bad that Albert Bourla from Pfizer told me about the trial before the news broke— and yes, it was fishy that they altered the initial statistical plan to delay it after the 2020 election— but you know I wasn’t trying to hurt people. Part of me was worried that had the vaccine come earlier, liberals wouldn’t trust it. But yea, that was a screw up.
It was also a screw up to recommend everyone get 2 doses rather than give more people 1 dose (like Ashish and others said— side note: sorry for insinuating he was a publicity hog in my diary). The UK was probably right.
In retrospect, I should have made the case to persuade people to take vaccines rather than force them on people. It does look bad that I asked Rochelle not to say vaccines don’t halt transmission because it would undermine the DOJ mandate. My bad.
Finally yes, it looks bad that I told Zeke that covid will have a high rate of natural immunity, but I denied this publicly to support mandates for all. I truly thought people would fake having had covid— so better to make no exemptions, but yes, I admit I look like I was FOS. In retrospect, better to have given exemptions for self reported covid, and accept that some might lie. It’s your life, after all.
Censorship:
In retrospect, I am sorry I went hard against Jay Bhattacharya and others in the GBD. I probably should have been more open to debate. Now, there were some people saying some truly crazy things— let us not forget— but I will admit I got overzealous and probably censored good people making good points.
Vanity
Yes, I was probably wrong to ask a guy I gave grant money to, to nominate me for an award with a cash prize, but I assure you it was vanity not corruption! In general, I am sorry that I was too full of myself. I am working on it. But honestly I am 85 so the doctors say there is little chance of fixing it. Listen, I am not the first person to relish power who is full of himself— take it easy on me. You can’t do a job like mine without some degree of self-confidence.
Good traits
Even though I made a bunch of mistakes, I am a nice person. I am a great dinner party guest— especially when I visit my pal Jake Tapper. But jokes aside, like a lot of people, it is complicated. I am not all black or white. I live in the gray. I was in a position of massive power at a moment people needed someone to lead. I made big gambles, a lot blew up in my face, but I wasn’t trying to screw up on purpose. Had you been in my shoes, you might not have made all the same mistakes, but you would have made mistakes. That part is true for all of us.
Sincerely
Anthony S Fauci
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One more paragraph on school closures:
"I am technically correct that I never ordered school closures. This authority rests with state and local health departments. However, I am aware that my guidance had massive influence on a health department's policies. Few state health officers would risk challenging my advice and keep schools open when I advised closure. I was wrong to shut down any counterarguments made by those who were concerned about the educational, developmental, emotional and psychological harms of school closures. I acknowledge the harms were suffered most by those of limited financial means. In a future epidemic, we should be much more protective of our children's education and not treat them as 'human shields'."
You're being too nice, intentionally I believe.
He didn't just become narcissistic, he was or became that way over 40 years of power. Maybe it was his own "gain of function"!