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.
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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.
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