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See the full story · 3 sourcesEye-popping diary entries written by Dr. Anthony Fauci reveal the former White House COVID advisor was fixated on his newfound celebrity at the height of the global pandemic, but anyone who relies on legacy media outlets for news and information may not be aware.
ABC News, NBC News, CBS News, CNN and MS NOW's on-air broadcasts ignored Fauci’s diary entries from the time they were released on Saturday afternoon through Monday at 9 a.m. ET when flagship morning shows had concluded, according to a search of transcripts using Grabien Media.
Released by Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., the journals chronicle Fauci's day-to-day role during the COVID-19 crisis through conversations with President Donald Trump , governors and world leaders, media appearances, and his personal observations as the pandemic unfolded in 2020.
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Paul, a longtime Fauci critic who frequently clashed with him over the federal response and the origins of the virus, made the diaries public as part of the committee's ongoing oversight investigation. The diary entries document Fauci’s fondness of his newfound fame, cozy relationships with a variety of legacy media personalities, his growing frustration with the Trump White House and the suggestion that it was "not hyperbole" to say he was "the most famous and talked about person in the country."
The diary entries exploded on social media but appear to have been ignored by mainstream news networks.
"NBC Nightly News" failed to mention the story over the weekend and NBC continued to look the other way Monday morning on "Today," according to Grabien transcripts. On ABC, "World News Tonight" and "Good Morning America" followed the same pattern, while "CBS’ Evening News" and "CBS Mornings" didn’t find anything newsworthy, either.
Sunday affairs programs such as ABC’s "This Week," NBC’s "Meet the Press" and CBS’ "Face the Nation" also declined to cover Fauci’s diary.
INSIDE FAUCI'S PRIVATE DIARY: WHAT HE WROTE ABOUT TRUMP, TV PERSONALITIES AND CELEBRITIES
It was much of the same on cable news, as CNN and MS NOW both ignored the story on linear television through Monday morning. The word "Fauci" was not mentioned once, according to Grabien Media.
CNN’s on-air blackout came despite anchor Jake Tapper appearing repeatedly throughout the private diary entries as Fauci documented phone calls, text exchanges and dinners at the Tappers' Washington home amid their growing friendship.
Fauci wrote that Tapper privately checked to make sure a CNN interview hadn't caused problems with the White House. When The Atlantic's Peter Nicholas suggested Fauci had been "humiliated" over a canceled Tapper interview, Fauci fired back in his diary: "F--- you, Peter."
After Fauci's heated exchange with GOP Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan in April 2021, Fauci wrote that CNN's Dana Bash texted him, telling him he was "a better man" and relaying that fellow CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer had joked no one would have blamed Fauci if he had told Jordan to "go f--- yourself."
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Fox News chief political analyst Brit Hume took notice of the media blackout.
"This is not getting the coverage it deserves," Hume wrote on X. "Is that because so many media luminaries were so chummy with the man at the center of a major medical controversy?"
ABC, NBC, CBS and CNN did not immediately respond to a request for comment. MS NOW declined comment.
The diary release came days before Fauci is scheduled to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee after being subpoenaed by Paul. Several network insiders have suggested the news broke during a busy news cycle and there is still time to cover it before Wednesday’s hearing.
Fox News Digital’s Amanda Macias contributed to this report.
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