US NIAID Director Fauci Agrees to Accept Biden's Request to Remain in Position

Revealed in an Interview with NBC... Described the First Meeting as "Very Productive"

Director Anthony Fauci [Photo by AP]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Anthony Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said on the 4th (local time) that he would accept the request from President-elect Joe Biden to remain in his position.

In an interview with NBC's "Today" on the same day, Fauci expressed this stance regarding Biden's request for him to stay on, which was made the previous day. He described the meeting with Biden's transition team as "very productive" and indicated that he expects to continue in his current role.

Earlier, in an interview with CNN, President-elect Biden said he met with Fauci and asked him to remain in his position, expressing his intention to appoint Fauci as his chief medical advisor in the next administration. He added that Ron Klain, who has been nominated as the next White House Chief of Staff, knows Fauci well and has been in constant communication with him.

Fauci said, "How I can contribute to the new administration depends on the new administration," adding, "However, I find it hard to imagine not being involved in the COVID-19 response." He himself

Fauci was part of the COVID-19 task force under the Donald Trump administration and has been a figure who clashed with President Trump over preventive measures such as mask-wearing and lockdowns.