Dr. Anthony Fauci announced he will be retiring soon.
The White House chief medical adviser said he will retire at the end of President Joe Biden’s term.
Fauci, who became the face of the United States’s efforts to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic, told Politico that he is not basing his decision on when COVID-19 will be fully contained.
“We’re in a pattern now. If somebody says, ‘You’ll leave when we don’t have COVID anymore,’ then I will be 105. I think we’re going to be living with this,” Fauci said when asked whether he would remain in his role out of a sense of obligation.
FAUCI ‘FOR SURE’ TO STEP DOWN IN WHITE HOUSE ROLE IF TRUMP REELECTED
In May, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director told CNN’s Jim Acosta he would not continue in his role if former President Donald Trump were to return for a second presidential term.
“Uh, well, no,” Fauci replied with a chuckle.
“If you look at the history of what the response was during the [Trump] administration, I think, you know, at best, you could say it wasn’t optimal,” Fauci replied. “I think just history will speak for itself about that. I don’t need to make any further comment on that, Jim. It’s not productive.”
In March, Fauci also hinted at retirement, saying, “I can’t stay at this job forever. Unless my staff is going to find me slumped over my desk one day. I’d rather not do that.”
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Fauci has been a public health expert in various capacities for more than 50 years and has advised every president since Ronald Reagan.