In his final White House briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci said he hopes he is remembered for giving “everything [he] has.”
“I’ll let other people judge the value or not of my accomplishments, but I would like people to remember about what I’ve done, is that every day for all of those years I’ve given it everything that I have and I’ve never left anything on the field,” said the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the chief medical adviser to the Biden administration.
“So if they want to remember me, whether they judge rightly or wrongly what I’ve done, I gave it all I got for a few decades.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, in his final White House briefing before departing his official positions, said he hopes that he is remembered for giving his job “everything I have” https://t.co/DPfN0fA7AK pic.twitter.com/1w0Nhz6PBe
— CNN (@CNN) November 22, 2022
“People who base what they say on evidence and data need to speak out more,” said Fauci regarding COVID-19 and future pandemics largely. “The way you counter misinformation and disinformation is that to do whatever you can as often as you can, to provide correct information.”
“For close to four decades, and under seven Republican and Democratic presidents, Dr. Fauci has always led with the science and our country is stronger and healthier because of his leadership,” said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who praised Fauci as “a source of information and facts” whose “leadership and legacy stretch far beyond the last couple of years.”
In July, Fauci revealed his intention to retire by the end of President Biden’s term. However, in an August press release, Fauci changed course by announcing he would “leave” his positions in December to “pursue the next chapter of [his] career.”
“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,” wrote Fauci, clarifying he wasn’t retiring. “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.”
“During my time as Vice President … I came to know 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,” said President Biden in a statement shortly after Fauci’s August announcement.
“His commitment to the work is unwavering, and he does it with an unparalleled spirit, energy, and scientific integrity,” Biden continued. “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.”
