Dr. Anthony Fauci is planning to retire by the end of President Joe Biden’s term, he said in an interview with Politico on Monday.
“They’re going to try and come after me, anyway. I mean, probably less so if I’m not in the job,” Fauci told the outlet. “I don’t make that a consideration in my career decision.”
The doctor has served in the federal government for over 50 years. Since 1984, he’s served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and he also is currently the Chief Medical Advisor to the president.
As he essentially led the COVID-19 pandemic response efforts under both the Trump administration and Biden, the doctor has been the subject of criticism and praise for his tactics. Fauci gained notoriety for his role at White House press conferences in the Trump era, which also gave way to the contentious relationship between the former president and himself.
“We developed an interesting relationship,” Fauci said in the Politico interview.
“Two guys from New York, different in their opinions and their ideology, but still, two guys who grew up in the same environments of this city. I think that we are related to each other in that regard.”
This dynamic quickly made him popular among many on the political left, although many conservatives were skeptical of him and the NIAID. During congressional hearings, Fauci frequently butts heads with Republican lawmakers such as Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).
Among many other topics, he was questioned about what the parameters would be for things to return to normal once again.
“What is low enough? Give me a number,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) asked Fauci last April as to when certain guidelines could be eased, according to ABC News.
“That would be that the number of infections per day are well below 10,000 per day,” Fauci replied.
“At that point, and up to that point, there would be a gradual pulling back of some of the restrictions you’re talking about.”
Fauci will undoubtedly go down as a controversial figure who Americans will always remember as the face of the COVID-19 pandemic efforts.
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