Dr. Anthony Fauci’s security detail revoked by President Trump

File: National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci listens as President Donald J. Trump speaks with the coronavirus task force during a briefing in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in the James S. Bra

President Donald Trump has ended the government security detail for Dr. Anthony Fauci, his chief medical adviser during much of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

Fauci stepped down from his role as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in 2022 but had still been receiving taxpayer-funded federal security because of threats on his life.

The backstory:

Dr. Fauci became a household name during the COVID-19 pandemic, often appearing with President Trump at briefings, increasingly clashing with him over policy.

RELATED: Fauci says Trump administration’s approach to COVID-19 ‘very likely’ cost lives

As the face of the government’s response to COVID, he became a frequent target of criticism from those who opposed lockdowns, mask mandates, and other steps aimed at curbing the deadly pandemic. The National Institutes of Health requested security for Fauci in 2020 to protect him from threats he received as a result of that role.

What they're saying:

"I think you know, when you work for government, at some point, your security detail comes off and you know you can't have them forever," Trump said Friday.

Dig deeper:

President Trump also recently revoked the security clearances of 51 intelligence officials who had wrongly claimed that Hunter Biden's laptop had "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation," as well as the details provided to ex-CIA Director Mike Pompeo and former national security advisor John Bolton.

Bolton had previously received threats from Iran. When asked if he’d feel partially responsible for any harm to Fauci or Bolton, the president said no.

"You know, they all made a lot of money," he responded without elaborating. "They can hire their own security, all the people you're talking about. They can go out, I can give them some good numbers of very good security people."

Biden’s pardon

Just before leaving office, President Joe Biden issued several pre-emptive pardons to his family and some federal officials, including Dr. Fauci. Biden said at the time it was to protect them from "revenge" by Trump or his allies.

RELATED: Biden issues preemptive pardons for Fauci, Milley, Jan. 6 committee members

Friday, Fauci publicly thanked Biden for the pardon.

"It was the right thing to do," Fauci tweeted. "I was unnecessarily persecuted by sitting congressman like @RandPaul and many others and I’m thankful for Biden’s decision."

The Source: Information for this story came from FOX News reporter Chris Pandolfo, President Trump's Friday press conference in North Carolina, Dr. Anthony Fauci's social media account, and previous FOX Television Station reporting.

PoliticsCoronavirusNews