Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans looked to Dr. Anthony Fauci to provide clear answers. His honesty may have put his life in danger despite his decades of service under both Democrat and Republican administrations.

In an interview with the New York Times, Fauci revealed that he and his family received death threats after he contradicted Donald Trump about the coronavirus' severity. The threats to Fauci’s family began in March and forced him to receive secret service protection.

“It was the harassment of my wife, and particularly my children, that upset me more than anything else. They knew where my kids work, where they live,” he told the Times.

“The threats would come directly to my children’s phones, directly to my children’s homes.”

Fauci, 80, is one of the world's leading experts on infectious diseases and has run the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for over 36 years, and through six administrations.

Fauci revealed that Trump supporters took issue with him contradicting White House optimism.

“And there was chatter on the internet, people talking to each other, threatening, saying, ‘Hey, we got to get rid of this guy. What are we going to do about him? He’s hurting the president’s chances.’ You know, that kind of right-wing craziness,” Fauci said.

Amid the death threats, Fauci also received a white powder in the mail.

“One day I got a letter in the mail, I opened it up and a puff of powder came all over my face and my chest. That was very, very disturbing to me and my wife because it was in my office,” he said.

“So I just looked at it all over me and said, ‘What do I do?’ The security detail was there, and they’re very experienced in that. They said, ‘Don’t move, stay in the room.’ And they got the hazmat people. So they came, they sprayed me down and all that.”

Although the powder was harmless, it still left the doctor frightened. Going forward, Fauci won’t have to worry about contradicting President Joe Biden, who has reportedly allowed him to speak candidly about the virus.

Infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci says he doesn't read President Donald Trump's criticisms
Infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci says he doesn't read President Donald Trump's criticisms AFP / MANDEL NGAN