President Donald Trump has revoked the security protection for Dr. Anthony Fauci, a former top US health official, effective immediately. Fauci, who has faced death threats and criticism since leading the country’s Covid-19 response, will now have to pay for his own private security team. The decision comes as Trump also revoked security protections for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, and former envoy Brian Hook, all of whom have faced threats from Iran.
Trump told reporters that the decision was “very standard” and that “you can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you work for government.” He also suggested that Fauci, along with the other officials, could hire their own security teams, stating, “They all made a lot of money. They can hire their own security too.”
Fauci had previously been protected by federal marshals and a private security company, which was funded by the government. However, his safety was also a topic of controversy, with some Republicans calling for his security to be revoked. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, one of Fauci’s most vocal critics, had previously written on social media about revoking Fauci’s security detail.
The decision to revoke Fauci’s security protections comes as Trump also revoked the security clearances of 51 intelligence officials who had claimed that Hunter Biden’s laptop had “all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.” According to US protocol, former presidents and their spouses are granted security protection for life, but protection for other US officials is determined by the threat assessment from the intelligence community.
As the former head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci faced death threats and criticism from Republicans over mask mandates and other Covid restrictions. He served as a key member of the Operation Warp Speed task force during the pandemic and was awarded a presidential commendation by Trump. Before leaving office, President Joe Biden issued a preemptive pardon for Fauci, stating that the possibility of prosecution had created “immeasurable and intolerable distress” on his family. Fauci has committed no crime, and he has stated that he has not committed any wrongdoing.