More than seven decades after childhood games of “Simon Says,” Americans found themselves playing a deadlier version during the COVID-19 pandemic — one that columnist James Zumwalt argues was orchestrated by Dr. Anthony Fauci. In a searing piece for American Thinker, Zumwalt contends that the former top infectious disease expert’s own diary—1,889 pages of self-congratulation—proves he is unworthy of the Nobel Prize and should face criminal consequences.
The pandemic, which began in November 2019 and was declared a public health emergency through May 2023, was a time when, Zumwalt writes, Americans were told Fauci was the country’s leading expert and that following his commands—specifically on vaccinations—was the path to social responsibility. But, he argues, we now know Fauci lied and millions may have died as a result.
A Diary of Self-Adoration
Zumwalt points to Fauci’s diary as evidence of an outsized ego, noting that the entries were maintained almost daily during the COVID era and focused heavily on tracking the praise and back-pats he received—both from others and from himself. The diary’s tone, epitomized by the line “Simon says I’m one amazing guy,” reveals a man who viewed himself as a hero, not a villain, despite the controversies that swirled around him.
The column resurrects a debate over whether Fauci deserves a Nobel Prize, calling such consideration absurd. Zumwalt likens it to giving a safety award to OceanGate, the company whose submersible imploded during a 2023 Titanic expedition. “There are those who believe Fauci should be considered for the Nobel Prize,” he writes. “However, little evidence other than Fauci’s own diary is necessary to demonstrate into which category he falls.”
Political or Physician? Critics Weigh In
Zumwalt highlights a Fox News interview with former U.S. Rep. Trey Gowdy and Sen. Roger Marshall, both Republicans, in which they excoriated Fauci. Gowdy lamented that Fauci seemed “more of a politician than a physician” and worried about “the damage he did to medicine and science while he was trying to play politics.” Marshall was blunter, accusing Fauci of being “drunk with power” and his own celebrity status, while allegedly covering up “viral gain-of-function research, which he’d been funding for 20 years.”
According to Marshall, Fauci told his diary one thing and the American people another, sending private texts to CDC directors and the Surgeon General that contradicted his public statements. “He says he is the science. You should trust him. He knows what’s best for everybody. And of course, we found that not to be true,” Marshall said.
Vaccine Safety Concerns Ignored?
The column goes on to detail accusations that Fauci ignored vaccine safety concerns. It claims that the NIH director blasted Fauci for remaining publicly silent about the vaccine causing miscarriages—while noting that Fauci recorded a concern about an 82% miscarriage rate in his diary, yet still encouraged pregnant women to get vaccinated.
Additionally, Zumwalt points to a May 2021 warning from then-Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, who alerted Fauci to adverse events reported by patients who had received COVID-19 vaccines. Woodcock wrote that many were healthcare professionals, that symptoms didn’t fit a distinctive syndrome, and that “no one takes them seriously, no one knows how to treat them, and there is no effort to study this.” She proposed a study, but Fauci allegedly removed her from the recipient list and wrote “we cannot ignore her”—and then did exactly that.
Fauci’s Own Experience and Legal Threats
Zumwalt also notes that Fauci himself was among those who suffered serious side effects from the vaccine, but that this fact was kept quiet. He suggests Fauci is growing nervous as his former colleague, David Morens, a former NIH senior advisor, pleaded guilty to hiding federal records during the pandemic.
The column concludes with a stark verdict: Fauci, who allegedly hid funding for gain-of-function research at China’s Wuhan laboratory that gave rise to COVID-19, should be considered for jail—not the Nobel Prize. “His actions during the COVID-19 pandemic—as evidenced by his diary entries alone—are totally unworthy of Nobel consideration,” Zumwalt writes. “He has done nothing to advance science, voluntarily placing millions of people at risk to further his own reputation. When it comes to this award, the selection committee must declare, ‘Simon says NO!’”
This opinion column reflects ongoing political and public scrutiny of Fauci’s legacy, with critics demanding accountability while supporters still see him as a public health hero. The debate over his diary’s contents and the validity of the accusations is likely to continue.
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/fauci-diary-simon-says-i-m-one-amazing-guy/