Dr Anthony Fauci, the former top United States (US) public health official who oversaw the implementation of protocols during COVID lockdowns, wrote in his pandemic-era diary about hosting and meeting several celebrities, prominent journalists and political figures, according to excerpts released by Republican Senator Rand Paul.
The entries outline social engagements involving actor George Clooney, singer-songwriter Amy Grant, singer Gladys Knight, composer Tania León and members of the rock group U2 during the December 2022 Kennedy Center Honors.
Fauci recorded a conversation with Hunter Biden, the son of former United States President Joe Biden, during the event.
“Joked with Hunter Biden as we shook and [sic] hands and hugged. He said if someone snapped a photo and put it on line [sic], the internet ‘would explode’ given we are both being attacked by the far right GOP (Grand Old Party),” Fauci noted.
The personal notes detailed multiple dinners at his house with media figures, including CNN anchor Jake Tapper, former Washington Post journalist Sally Quinn and Watergate reporter Bob Woodward.
“Had dinner at my home with Jake and Jennifer Tapper. Relaxed, good time. Jake clearly believes that Trump is totally nuts,” Fauci wrote in October 2020.
The diary also mentions his attendance at a social event hosted at billionaire Jeff Bezos’s Washington residence.
Paul, a Kentucky Republican, released the excerpts during an ongoing congressional inquiry into the origins of Covid-19 and the federal government’s response.
During a congressional hearing, Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and declined to answer numerous questions from lawmakers. He dismissed accusations regarding his prior knowledge of a potential laboratory leak as “preposterous.”
Addressing lawmakers in his opening statement, Fauci remarked that Paul had an “obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution.”
Former President Joe Biden issued a pardon for Fauci in January 2025 to shield him from prospective legal actions under the Trump administration.
