A single line often inverts meaning once you see what it
answers, so neighbouring messages are always shown.
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May 27, 2020 • o o o o o "How did I meet Larry? He called me a murderer and an incompetent idiot on the front page of the San Francisco Examiner magazine." Speaking as he passed though a fever check on his way into the White House, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, recalled some of his fondest memories of his friend Larry Kramer, who died early Wednesday morning. Nearly every anecdote in our brief interview had the same plot: the country's best-known AIDS activist publicly abusing the country's best-known AIDS doctor -- and then privately apologizing afterward, saying he hadn't meant it, that it was just how to get things done. "It was an extraordinary 33-year relationship," Dr. Fauci said. "We loved each other. We would have dinner. I would go see him in the West Village, he would come down to Washington. "But even recently, when he got pissed at me about something, he said to some paper, 'Fauci's gone over to the dark side again.' I called him up and said, 'Larry? What the....' And he'd say, 'Oh, I didn't really mean it. I just wanted to get some attention.'" Nobody stirred up attention for a cause quite like Mr. Kramer did. An open letter to the San Francisco Examiner in 1988, Dr. Fauci said, was the first time he'd heard of Mr. Kramer, a playwright who had founded two activist groups: the Gay Men's Health Crisis; and Act Up, the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power. Addressing Dr. Fauci in the letter, Mr. Kramer wrote: "Your refusal to hear the screams of AIDS activists early in the crisis resulted in the deaths of thousands of Queers. Your present inaction is causing today's increase in HIV infection outside of the Queer community." "I thought, 'This guy, I need to reach out to him,'" Dr. Fauci recalled. "So I did, and we started talking. We realized we had things in common." Mr. Kramer's name-calling wasn't personal, Dr. Fauci explained. "I was the face of the federal government. I was the one out there trying to warn the public, and he was, too. That was his way of saying, 'Hello? Wake up!' That was his style. He was iconoclastic, he was theatrical -- he wanted to make his point." Image Dr. Anthony Fauci during a news briefing on the AIDS epidemic in 1989.Credit...Bettmann, via Getty Images Over the years, they were often asked to appear together, often on television news programs. "We were on ABC's 'Nightline' and Ted Koppel asked me about AZT," Dr. Fauci said, referring to the first anti-H.I-V. drug. "And Larry said, "You guys in the government don't know anything. You've got it all wrong!" Dr. Fauci would get in a cab to go home, and later the phone would ring. "It would be Larry saying, 'How do you think we did?' I'd say, 'Larry, you just trashed me in front of 10 million people." "And he'd say, 'Oh, I was just trying to get some attention." As they became friends, Mr. Kramer tried to push Dr. Fauci into joining him in activism. "During the administration of George H.W. Bush, he told me, "Tony, you should chain yourself to the gates of the White House," Dr. Fauci said. "I said, 'Larry, how would that help? I can go talk to President Bush any time. He's a friend.' Would you like recommendations for more stories like this? Yes "He said, 'You should still do it." In 2001, with Mr. Kramer suffering from both hepatitis B and side effects of his H.I.V. medication -- he had the disease for at least six years before effective triple-drug cocktails became standard practice -- Dr. Fauci became his doctor. Mr. Kramer had told him he was not doing well, and doctors were baffled. "I said, 'Come to the N.I.H. We'll work you up.'" Dr. Fauci recalled. "He was really at death's door. We realized he needed a liver transplant." Mr. Kramer went on a transplant list. But there was a public debate over whether he should get a scarce donor organ, because patients with H.I.V. had long been considered less likely to survive, despite the introduction of effective medications. And at 66, Mr. Kramer was older than a typical transplant candidate. Nonetheless, he got a new liver that December at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. That not only set a precedent for H.I.V. patients and older patients, but also abruptly reversed the decline in Mr. Kramer's health. "He really bounced back," Dr. Fauci said. "It gave him multiple more years of life." The relationship between the two men played out in Mr. Kramer's literary works as well as in his political activism. Mr. Kramer's autobiographical play in 1992, "The Destiny of Me," includes a character based on Dr. Fauci. "He's named Anthony Della Vida -- Tony Of Life," Dr. Fauci said. "He told me he wanted the actor who was playing me to come down to Bethesda and go on hospital rounds with me and learn my mannerisms. "He made the character a mix of goodness and rigidity. To him, that's the federal government -- rigid." "On opening night, he invited my wife and me, and he's so sensitive about our friendship," Dr. Fauci added. "I was standing around at the reception afterward with all these activists -- Peter Staley, Gregg Gonsalves, Mark Harrington -- and he comes up to me sheepishly and says, 'Do you hate me?'" "I said, 'What, Larry, it was a good play.'" "He said, 'Well, I was a little hard on you.'" "I said, 'Larry, you're always doing that to me, anyway!'" The Life of Larry Kramer ............................................................................................... White House Comms back to blocking me. They even balked at my doing press associated with Larry Kramer's death........really???? 700,000/102,000 800,000/104,000 Kayleigh McEnany coming out at her own orivate press conference saying thsat HC actually benefits patients, particular early patients. POTUS doubling down on his use of HC. Crazy Peter Navarro stops me in the EEOB office where we get our COVID tests and tells me that what I am saying about HC is actually causing many deaths (amazing asshole!!!). It seems that my comments on CNN on Wednesday has really stirred up the White House. They definitiely do not want me out there on the air. Mike Caputo wants to have a "meal" with me to talk. We will wait to see what the RCTs show about HC. The observational studies show no benefit and some significant risk. I asked Andrea Lerner to review literature on HC for me. PRESS: BBC World Service NewsHour; Instagram interview with Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC); LA Times video interview; WYNC Radio with Amy Walter on Larry Kramer; STAT interview with Helen Branswell on vaccines;
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May 28, 2020 - Global - 5,500,000/350,000; USA - 1,700,000/100,000 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/health/larry-kramer-anthony-fauci.html 'We Loved Each Other': Fauci Recalls Larry Kramer, Friend and Nemesis In public, the activist berated the infectious disease expert for federal inaction on AIDS. But their affection lasted decades and changed the course of the epidemic. Larry Kramer in 2015. "It was an extraordinary 33-year relationship," said Dr. Anthony Fauci said of his friendship with the activist.Credit...Todd Heisler/The New York Times
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May 29, 2020 - Global - 5,600,000/354,000; USA - 1,700,000/102,000 Had major confrontation with the people from Moderna, mostly Tal Zaks, aandStephane Bancel who wanted to push backon the collaboration (mostly do their own thing). Moncef, John, Larry and I set them straight. Also Mikael Dolsten and people from Pfizer also wanting part of our resoruces (clinical sitesd) without joining the collaboration. Several conference calls to straighten this out. It is not going to be easy. Had long conversation on "background" with Bob Woodward who is writing a book on the early response to COVID in the USA. I provided him with some history of our response in early January and into February. Will tlak more with him tomorow PRESS: Wall Street Journal interview re: Chinese vaccines for COVID; Canadian Radio re: Larry Kramer; Young Money Radio - Lil Wayne and Dr. Dre;
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May 31, 2020 - Global - 5,800,000/363,000; USA - 1,800,000/104,000 Sunday - as expected, no shows for me. Also, conditions influenced by widespread riots and disruptions going on in multiple cities in response to a Minneapolis policeman who killed an unarmed black man (George Floyd), which was videotaped by a passerby. This has dominated the news. 00,000/104,000 00,000/105,000 A race horse owner just bought a horse to run in the Belmont Stakes and named the horse "Fauci"! I made it into a "Doonesbury" cartoon
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2020-06-01 00:00
Anthony S. Fauci
June 1, 2020 - Global - 6,000,000/368,000; USA - 1,800,000/104,000 Disruptions continue. Trump either silent or fueling the problem. McEnany looking more and more preposterous as she gives single person press briefings. Riots getting worse. Disruption and property destruction around White House and now into my very neighborhood blocks from my home up at Foxhole Center. Walgren's and Vourhius vandalized. Did Zoom interview led by Father Dan Lahart for the Regis High School graduating seniors. Students loved it. Jake Tapper did a piece on CNN quoting me as saying that I have not seen or spoken to the POTUS in 2 weeks from May 18 (Governors call) through June 1. Media picked up on it and made it a big deal PRESS: Interview with London Times for profile of me; TV interview with Italian TV (Sky TV)- Giovanna Pancheri; Washington Times interview on the effect of demonstrations/rioting on containment of COVID-19;
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June 2, 2020 - Global - 6,100,000/371,000; USA - 1,800,000/105,000 Riots continue in several cities. Washington, DC particularly bad. There was violence earlier yesterday, but then it was a peaceful demonstration. The POTUS ordered the police to clear the way through Lafayette Park so that he could do a photo op with a bible at St. John's Church across the street. The police came in and scattered the mostly peaceful crowd and injured several with rubber bullets and clubs. Things getting very bad. Task Force in Sit Room meeting regarding usual stuff - testing, supply chain,etc. Meeting with POTUS in Oval Office re: vaccines. As usual, POTUS was very warm and friendly with me. When he walked into the Oval with us waiting, I was standing next to the door and he said "I love you, Tony. I feel like giving you a big hug". And throughout the meeting where Moncef described our vaccine activities to him, he kept referring to me. After it was over, he called me close to the desk and asked how I was doing and said "How are you; you are looking real good". QOM); Podcast with JAMA 00,000/106,000 Updated Ran into Alyssa Farah outside the White House. Real strange. She said that she really liked my performance on CNN with Town Hall and also with Jim Sciutto. She asked how my other hits went. I told her that I did not have any other hits and that all my requests for clearance over the past week have been turned down. She acted very surprised and said she would look into this. Again, she claimed that there was confusion and lack of coordination with VP's Comms staff and theirs. Something funny here. I am meeting with Michael Caputo tomorrow AM in my house for breakfast. PRESS: Wall Street Journal - Tech Health Interview (ZOOM); Podcast with JAMA - Howard Bauchner
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June 3, 2020 - Global - 6,200,000/378,000; USA - 1,800,000/106,000 No TF today. Only a Governors call on Nursing Homes to which I was not invited. Probably mostly Seema Verma. Also, despite people (including Kellyanne Conway) assuring me that we are returning to 3x/week press briefings without the POTUS (i.e. with the VP), nonetheless, the press briefing today was Kayleigh by herself at the podium. Had breakfast at my house this AM (6:30 - 7:30 AM) on the back deck with Michael Caputo who wanted to discuss with me Comms strategy involving me. Good conversation. He says that there really is confusion at the level of the WH about putting me out. Clearly Alyssa wants to put me out there (not for every request, but certainly not 0 for 8 on a given week. He says that Alexa Hennings is the scheduler who books TV appearances in the one blocking me for unclear reasons. He will try to fix that sine he spoke with Alyssa over the phone yesterday (likely as a result of my meeting her outside the WH) and Alyssa wants to get me on more. Complicated situation. Also, Michael want me to do more PSAs and even a documentary. He is trying to establish novel paradigms for COMMS involving me. Also, we spoke a lot about his history with Russia and Roger Stone. He and his family have been greatly harassed by Antifa and he understands my harassment by the dark web. He is clearly an unusual guy who has been operating "at the edge" for some time. However, he seems like a pretty good human being. Anthony Fauci namesake is a favorite at Belmont Park
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June 3, 2020 I 9:21am I Updated 'US and 2d me Dr. Anthony Fauci Getty Images composite Fauci could be a big winner Wednesday. No, not Dr. Anthony Fauci, the infectious disease expert, but the horse named after him which will run in the third race at Belmont Park today as racing returns to Elmont, the first sporting event in New York in 80 days. Fauci, jockeyed by Tyler Gaffalione and trained by Wesley Ward, is a 4-to-5 favorite. Had a very difficult experience today. The POTUS called my cell and screamed at me because I had mentioned to the Press (likely on a Howard Bauchner podcast or a Politico interview that the duration of immunity for common coronaviruses was 6 months to 1 year and that although we do not know the duration of vaccine immunity, it is possible that we may have to use additional boosts. Apparently the press blew this up and said that the vaccine will only protect for a very short time. The POTUS was very angry. He said I cannot keep doing this to him. He said he lover me but the country is in trouble and I am making it worse. He said the stock market only went up 600 points and it should have gone up 1000 points and so I cost the country $1 trillion. Quite a phone call. 10:00 PM - Katie Miller called me up and said she had a message from the POTUS and the VP. Both of them (POTUS and VP) asked Katie to tell me that they both loved me and are sorry about what happened. They understand and feel that the press will continue to pit me against the POTUS and so please be careful. 1 Sarah Wheaton 50,000/107,000 2020 Sammies Federal Employee a September. ;000/108,000 PRESS: Politico interview with Sarah Wheaton
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June 4, 2020 - Global - 6,300,000/380,000; USA - 1,850,000/107,000 Had call with NYC Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot and Deputy Commissioner Demetre Daskalakis to discuss the possibility of doing a multicenter study of the Multisystem Inflammatory Sydnrome in Children (MIS-C). NYC has 140 cases. Just today informed that I have been chosen for the: 2020 Sammies Federal Employee of the Year award. The ceremony will take place in September. PRESS: Live Instagram with Jose Andres; Alan Alda Podcast; Did interview with Jonathan Swan of Axios. I got off interview quickly since it appeared I would be pitted against the POTUS with his questions.