Rand Paul releases Fauci diary excerpts ahead of contentious Senate hearing

Senator Rand Paul, chair of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, released over a thousand pages of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s personal journal entries spanning December 2019 to December 2022. The documents are expected to fuel a contentious hearing on Wednesday as the committee examines the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paul, who has advocated the theory that the virus may have leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, subpoenaed Fauci to testify as part of the investigation. The diaries show Fauci’s early uncertainty about the virus’s source, including a January 2020 note that the market in Wuhan was “not the source, it was the amplifier,” while acknowledging the possibility of an animal-to-human jump.

In May 2021, Fauci wrote that media reports of his “flip-flopping” on the origin issue were “out of control” and that he was calling for a thorough investigation because “no one is 100% certain.” The entries also detail his interactions with President Donald Trump, ranging from cooperative moments during the rollout of Operation Warp Speed to frustrations over the president’s public criticisms and mask guidance.

Fauci’s notes record a strained relationship with Paul, whom he accused in April 2021 of spreading conspiracy theories linking him to the virus. He later described Paul’s attacks as an “assault” and claimed that Paul’s accusations were unfounded.

The FBI has assessed that the virus most likely emerged from a lab incident in Wuhan, while many scientists continue to favor a natural spillover from animals. A 2025 CIA assessment cited a “low confidence” preference for the lab-leak hypothesis.

CBS News has sought comment from Fauci and the White House; Paul’s office did not respond to inquiries about how the diaries were obtained.