Senator Rand Paul released more than 1,100 pages of Dr Anthony Fauci’s pandemic-era diary entries shortly before Fauci was due to give subpoenaed testimony to the Senate Homeland Security Committee. The release is politically significant because it is likely to shape scrutiny of Fauci’s role in the US COVID-19 response, including debates over public-health advice, the virus’s origins and his relationship with the media.

The entries cover December 2019 to December 2022 and include Fauci’s notes on early discussions about a possible laboratory origin for COVID-19, disagreements over messaging and concerns about President Trump’s handling of the outbreak. They also record Fauci tracking favourable press coverage and contact with prominent figures, while describing threats to his family. Paul’s release preceded a scheduled hearing at which Fauci, 85, was expected to testify.