Fauci says he'll 'very likely' retire by the end of Biden's term


Infectious disease expert and political lightning rod Dr. Anthony Fauci said Monday that he will "very likely" retire by Jan. 2025, CNBC reports.
"By the time we get to the end of Biden's first term, I will very likely [retire]," Fauci told CNN on Monday. He elaborated during an interview with Politico published the same day. "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," the 81-year-old chief medical adviser said.
Fauci denied that the political animus he faces from the right was a factor in his decision to (probably) retire, but he did voice some frustrations. "It's becoming more and more difficult to get people to listen, because even the people who are compliant want [the pandemic] behind them," Fauci said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
When asked what he wants his legacy to be, Fauci did not mention COVID-19. Instead, he told Politico that "the most impactful thing I have done in my career" was his role in founding the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) under former President George W. Bush. According to the State Department, PEPFAR has saved an estimated 21 million lives worldwide.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
What's at stake in the Mahmoud Khalil deportation fight?
Talking Points Vague accusations and First Amendment concerns
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Why is a new Air Force One taking so long to build?
The Explainer Trump may look for alternatives for his new plane
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
New and notable podcasts for March
Feature The MeidasTouch Podcast and The Magnificent Others With Billy Corgan
By The Week US Published
-
RFK Jr. offers alternative remedies as measles spreads
Speed Read Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. makes unsupported claims about containing the spread as vaccine skepticism grows
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Texas outbreak brings 1st US measles death since 2015
Speed read The outbreak is concentrated in a 'close-knit, undervaccinated' Mennonite community in rural Gaines County
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Mystery illness spreading in Congo rapidly kills dozens
Speed Read The World Health Organization said 53 people have died in an outbreak that originated in a village where three children ate a bat carcass
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Ozempic can curb alcohol cravings, study finds
Speed read Weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may also be helpful in limiting alcohol consumption
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
New form of H5N1 bird flu found in US dairy cows
Speed Read This new form of bird flu is different from the version that spread through herds in the last year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Microplastics accumulating in human brains, study finds
Speed Read The amount of tiny plastic particles found in human brains increased dramatically from 2016 to 2024
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
FDA approves painkiller said to thwart addiction
Speed Read Suzetrigine, being sold as Journavx, is the first new pharmaceutical pain treatment approved by the FDA in 20 years
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Study finds possible alternative abortion pill
Speed Read An emergency contraception (morning-after) pill called Ella could be an alternative to mifepristone for abortions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published