Fauci privately took credit for COVID-19 lockdowns despite public denial, newly exposed diary entries reveal

Despite denying on multiple occasions during and after the COVID-19 pandemic that he personally recommended lockdowns, excerpts revealed from Dr. Anthony Fauci's private diary prove a clear contradiction.

In a March 15, 2020, entry in the diary, which begins with 'BIG DAY!' written in red letters, Fauci, then the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) recalled a striking conversation he had with then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

'I spoke with Bill de Blasio (Mayor - NYC) and convinced him based on what I was saying publicly and my conversation tonight to close the NYC schools (he had already decided based on what I was saying on TV),' Fauci revealed in his private notes.

'I had a similar call with Ann O'Leary, the [Chief of Staff] of Gov. Gavin Newsom of California,' this particular entry went on. 'Ann said that based on my TV appearances today and yesterday, the Governor has decided to close the schools in California as well as the bars and restaurants.'

But seven months later, in an Oct. 16, 2022, interview with ABC News' Jonathan Karl, Fauci denied any involvement in inspiring lockdowns.

'Let's go back and look at the transcript. We said we should try as best as we possibly can to keep the children in school,' Fauci said. 'Nobody plays that clip.'

'They always come back and say, 'Fauci was responsible for shutting schools down.' I had nothing to do [with it]!' he insisted at the time.

On January 9, 2024, years after lockdowns ended, Fauci testified the same thing before the House Oversight Committee.

'I did not close the schools,' he said, according to the hearing transcript.

[Full article continues with extensive diary entries documenting Fauci's claims about influencing school closures, shelter-in-place orders, and lockdowns across multiple cities and states, contrasted against his public denials in 2022 and 2024 testimony.]