Lawton, OK – Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford said newly released diary entries written by former White House COVID-19 adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci reveal significant differences between Fauci’s private reflections and his public messaging during the pandemic, arguing that Americans deserve accountability for decisions that affected millions of lives.
“Dr. Fauci’s diary said one thing, but what he was saying publicly was completely different,” Lankford wrote on X following Fauci’s appearance before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. “We are starting to see the truth, but now we want accountability.”
Lankford’s comments came one day after Fauci appeared before the Republican-led committee, where he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in response to more than 100 questions from lawmakers investigating the federal government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the virus’s origins, Reuters reported.
The hearing followed the release of more than 1,100 pages of Fauci’s pandemic-era diary entries by committee Chairman Sen. Rand Paul. The journals documented Fauci’s private thoughts throughout the pandemic, including discussions about COVID-19’s possible origins, his interactions with President Donald Trump during the crisis, and his reaction to becoming one of the country’s most recognized public health officials.
According to reports summarizing the diary entries, Fauci privately acknowledged that a laboratory accident in Wuhan remained a possible explanation for the emergence of COVID-19 while publicly emphasizing that natural transmission from animals was the leading explanation during much of the pandemic. Fauci has maintained that he never ruled out the lab-leak theory and said his diary entries are consistent with his public statements.
Lankford also pointed to broader consequences of pandemic-era policies in a separate statement posted before the hearing.
“Countless families, including my own, watched a loved one die behind glass because they were prohibited from seeing them,” the Oklahoma senator wrote. “Kids lost access to school. Churches were shut down. Literacy rates declined. Mental health suffered. The American people deserve answers.”
The Oklahoma Republican has also repeatedly criticized the Chinese government’s handling of the early stages of the pandemic. In another post, Lankford accused China of concealing its involvement during the initial outbreak, alleging that Chinese officials influenced the World Health Organization and prevented a thorough investigation into the virus’s origins.
“China covered up their involvement in COVID,” Lankford wrote. “They bent the WHO to their will and blocked a thorough and transparent investigation.”
Questions surrounding the origins of COVID-19 have remained politically contentious for years. In recent years, several U.S. intelligence agencies have assessed that both a laboratory incident and natural animal transmission remain plausible scenarios, though no consensus has been reached across the intelligence community, according to CBS News.
During the hearing, Republican senators repeatedly questioned Fauci about federal funding for coronavirus research in Wuhan, China’s transparency during the early months of the outbreak, and decisions surrounding school closures and other public health measures. Fauci denied misleading Congress and has consistently rejected allegations that he intentionally concealed information about research funding or the virus’s origins.
Legal experts have noted that invoking the Fifth Amendment is a constitutional right and does not itself establish wrongdoing. Republicans on the committee nevertheless argued that Fauci’s refusal to answer questions prevented lawmakers from obtaining information they believe is necessary to fully evaluate the government’s pandemic response. Democrats countered that the hearing was politically motivated and designed to discredit Fauci after years of attacks over his role in advising multiple presidential administrations during the public health emergency.
Lankford’s latest remarks place him among several Republican senators who have called for additional scrutiny of Fauci’s pandemic decisions, arguing that newly released diary entries and his Senate testimony raise unresolved questions about how key COVID-19 policies were developed and communicated to the American public.
Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford says Dr. Fauci's diary revealed a different story, adding "we are starting to see the truth, now we want accountability"
