Anthony Fauci, the embattled director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), appeared on ABC’s “This Week” with former Clinton advisor George Stephanopoulos to shoot down rumors of his possible retirement.
Rumors that the controversial man once called “America’s doctor” at the beginning of the pandemic would soon announce his retirement began to swirl due to speculation about Fauci’s previous interview, in which he said “I can’t do this job forever” and admitted that the world “might be at the end” of the Covid pandemic.
Astute observers also noted that the interview marked the doctor’s return to television after an unexplained absence.
The rumors even made it as far as the Daily Mail, with the British tabloid asserting Fauci may be “at the brink of retirement.”
Now, however, Fauci appears to have thrown cold water on those planning his retirement party.
When Stephanopoulos asked about the rumors of his retirement, he was quoted by ABC as saying “I want to make sure we’re really out of this before I end my time.”
In the interview, he laughed at the idea of his retirement and said “I’m not so sure, George.”
“I want to make sure we’re really out of this before I really seriously consider doing anything different,” Fauci added. “We’re still in this, we’ve got a ways to go.”
Fauci also warned that America may see a return to the mandatory mask and lockdown policies that saw him transform into an intensively divisive figure before the end of the pandemic.
The remarks follow the actions of big pharma giants Pfizer and Moderna, which have both asked for emergency FDA authorization for another booster shot, which they predict will be necessary this fall.
Pfizer and Moderna are championing another booster even as some medical experts believe booster shots are unnecessary, and may actually be counter productive by causing something called “immune system fatigue.”
