Dr. Anthony Fauci says he still needs a security detail, despite having retired from public service at the end of 2022, because of threats to his life inspired by comments from right-wing figures like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis and others have attacked Fauci—who advised both Donald Trump and Joe Biden, as well as five other presidential administrations—for his pandemic-related policies like mask mandates and COVID vaccines. At a rally last year, DeSantis said about Fauci: “I’m just sick of seeing him. I know he says he’s going to retire. Someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac.”
