The release of private journals kept by Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) who led the U.S. response to COVID-19, has brought renewed attention to his friction with then-President Donald Trump during the early days of the pandemic.

According to the British daily The Guardian on the 27th (local time), Fauci's diary captures his deepening disappointment and disillusionment with President Trump during the first year of the pandemic.

Fauci described Trump using harsh terms such as "rambling," "crazy," "desperate," "nonsensical," "incompetent," "a jerk," and a "complete embarrassment."

The diary was made public by Republican Senator Rand Paul, who has clashed publicly with Fauci for years over the pandemic response and the origins of the virus, with the apparent intent of criticizing Fauci.

In a diary entry dated February 27, 2020, Fauci wrote that he spoke with President Trump by phone late at night for about 25 minutes, advising him not to downplay the severity of COVID-19.

He noted that he tried to persuade Trump that downplaying the virus could lead to accusations of a cover-up if conditions worsened, and that being honest with the public—even if stock prices fell further—would ultimately help his reelection bid.

However, Fauci expressed disappointment, writing, "I thought he heard what I said, but the next day he brushed it off yet again."

In March of the same year, as the spread of COVID-19 escalated in the U.S., Fauci wrote that President Trump was obsessed with media exposure and television ratings.

"He is demanding that we hold press briefings twice a day, morning and afternoon... Now we won't have time to work," he wrote.

In an entry from May 22 of that year, Fauci also voiced concern over President Trump rushing to reopen economic activity ahead of the presidential election.

Fauci assessed, "He is losing control in getting the country back open and the economy moving before election day... He is desperate, and all of this is for his reelection."

In October 2020, as the presidential election approached and COVID-19 cases were rising again, Fauci wrote about watching Trump continue campaign rallies: "He is spewing nonsense at the rallies. He is truly out of control. A complete embarrassment."

Following Trump's refusal to accept the presidential election results, Fauci wrote in a March 2021 diary entry that the situation was "historically reminiscent of Hitler," describing Trump as "truly like an obnoxious adolescent."

The diary also details Fauci's cooperation with media reporting.

He recorded having multiple off-the-record conversations in May 2020 with Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to explain the U.S. early COVID-19 response process, while noting concerns that he might be suspected as a leaker.

U.S. conservative media outlets have been reporting on the contents of the diary by focusing on how Fauci gained global fame during the COVID-19 response, his meetings with celebrities, and his appearances on television and in the media.

The diary also includes anecdotes of meeting singer Joan Baez and actors Julia Roberts and Sean Penn, as well as records of his broadcast appearances.

It remains unknown how Senator Paul obtained the diary.

Fauci is scheduled to attend a U.S. Senate hearing slated for the 30th.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)