WASHINGTON (AP) — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease official, says he feels safe despite reports he's received online threats and has had uncomfortable personal encounters with admirers.
Those have prompted the Trump administration to assign him a personal security detail, according to published reports.
Fauci, a key member of the White House coronavirus task force who appears almost daily on televised briefings and news shows, says there are things about his job that are "sometimes disturbing."
While speaking to "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie Thursday, Fauci spoke how the threats have affected him and his family's safety, NBC News reported.
“I've chosen this life. I mean I know what it is," Fauci said. "There are things about it that are sometimes disturbing. But you just focus on the job you have to do, and just put all that stuff aside and try as best as possible not to pay attention to it."
The Washington Post was the first to report about Fauci's security detail, adding that HHS Secretary Alex Azar had grown concerned about Fauci's safety.