Anthony Fauci, the government’s leading infectious diseases expert, says he has not considered running for political office as his national profile skyrockets.
“I have not. I think I’m going to stick with what I’m good at, and that is science and public health. I’ll leave the politics to other people,” Fauci said during an interview on Ozy, which will air in full on Jan. 11.
The remarks come as Fauci’s popularity has soared in 2020 after he became one of the most visible government health officials to help guide the public through the coronavirus pandemic.
Polls have shown more people trust Fauci than President Trump and some other government officials when looking for guidance regarding the virus. He has also garnered praise from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Fauci, 80, has been a chief proponent of measures such as wearing masks and practicing social distancing, though he has been caught in Trump’s political crosshairs at times for countering the White House’s occasionally rosy assessments of the pandemic.
Fauci, who is head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has already accepted a role in President-elect Joe Biden’s administration, where he will serve as the chief medical adviser.