Strong applauds Trump’s decision to terminate Anthony Fauci’s security detail

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January 24, 2025

President Donald Trump has rescinded Dr. Anthony Fauci’s taxpayer-funded security detail. The detail was originally requested by the National Institutes of Health in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

While touring parts of Western North Carolina today, Trump was asked by reporters about the decision.

“I think, you know, when you work for the government, at some point your security detail comes off and, you know, you can’t have them forever,” Trump said according to Fox News. “We took some off other people too, but you can’t have a security detail for the rest of your life because you work for the government.”

“They can hire their own security. … I can give them some good numbers of very good security people. Fauci made a lot of money. They all did.”

One Alabama lawmaker who worked to terminate Fauci’s detail months ago expressed his firm approval of Trump’s decision.

“Last year, I introduced H.R. 5609 to cut a taxpayer-funded driver and security guards for Dr. Fauci after his departure,” Rep. Dale Strong (R-Monrovia) said in a post on X. “This was a huge waste of hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and I commend President Trump for bringing common sense back to the White House.”

Last year, I introduced H.R. 5609 to cut a taxpayer-funded driver and security guards for Dr. Fauci after his departure.

This was a huge waste of hard-earned taxpayer dollars, and I commend President Trump for bringing common sense back to the White House. https://t.co/F0RCPloPAa

— Dale W. Strong (@RepDaleStrong) January 24, 2025

Fauci served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for decades and was the chief medical advisor to Bidem from 2021 to 2022. His net worth doubled during the pandemic, from $7.6 million in 2019 to $12.6 million in 2021, according to official disclosures. He has now hired a private security detail.

The decision, confirmed on Friday, follows reports of prominent public figures such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former National Security Advisor John Bolton also having their security terminated.

Fauci has not yet responded to Trump’s comments.

Austen Shipley is the News Director for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten