OPINION — If intelligence officers wanted one person to model themselves after, from the perspective of the Intelligence Community’s commitment to objectivity, they could find no one better than Dr. Anthony Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.
A leading principle, if not “the” leading principle, by which the Intelligence Community has long operated is objectivity – working through issues and writing and speaking about them without consideration to policy, political, bureaucratic, or personal factors.
This principle applies, most understand, to intelligence analysts – with regard to the judgments they make and to disseminating those judgments as broadly as need-to-know requires and allows, no matter who might like or who might be offended by the judgments.
But, the principle also applies to intelligence collectors – in terms of what questions they ask, what they disseminate of what they collect, and how broadly it is disseminated. It also applies to the analytic views of CIA chiefs of station – long an important perspective – on what they believe to be the truth that is unfolding in the country for which they are responsible.
The principle of objectivity is critical for two reasons – one, because good policy relies on good intelligence collection and analysis and, two, because if policymakers, the Congress, and the American people come to believe that the IC is pulling its punches or spinning what it believes to be the truth for policy or political reasons, the IC will lose its credibility. And, once gone, it would be very hard to get back.
We both know how difficult it is to be objective, particularly when you are put under political pressure. We have both experienced such pressure first-hand, and we like to think that we both emerged on the other side with our integrity. We can only imagine how difficult it has been for intelligence officers the last three years.
Given this, we wanted to shine a bright light on an inspirational source of the principle of objectivity — Dr. Anthony Fauci and his messaging about the coronavirus. Never have we seen a better example of the principle. For the last several weeks, Dr. Fauci has repeatedly spoken the truth as he and his fellow scientists see it regarding the coronavirus outbreak. And, in doing so, he has had to repeatedly contradict statements by the President, sometimes standing next to him on a podium.
A couple of examples will suffice. On March 2nd, in a televised meeting with the COVID-19 Task Force and pharmaceutical executives, the President said that one company was talking about a vaccine in "two months." Dr. Fauci corrected the President, saying “Let me make sure you [the President] get the ... information.” A vaccine could be ready “at the earliest [in] a year to a year-and-a-half, no matter how fast you go,” said Dr. Fauci, adding “Like I’ve been telling you, Mr. President. We can’t rely on a vaccine over the next several months to a year.”
On March 6th, Trump, while touring the CDC, said, “Anybody that wants a test can get a test.” When asked about testing just six days later at a Congressional hearing, Dr. Fauci said, “The [testing] system is not really geared to what we need right now, what you are asking for. That is a failing … Let’s admit it.” Dr. Fauci added, “The idea of anybody getting [a test] easily the way people in other countries are doing it; we are not set up for that. Do I think we should be? Yes. But we are not.”
How has Dr. Fauci done this? By sticking to the facts and by directly saying what he thinks – no punches pulled – but also by doing so in a way that he does not politically challenge the President. We have both noticed that Dr. Fauci shows great respect to the President, calling him “the boss.” And, Dr. Fauci will not respond to what are clearly questions designed to evoke a political reaction, saying in response to one such question in a recent media interview, “I don’t want to look backwards. I want to look forward.” Dr. Fauci only answers questions that are directly about the substance.
When asked about his role by Politico on February 28th, Dr. Fauci said, "You should never destroy your own credibility. And you don't want to go to war with a president ... But you got to walk the fine balance of making sure you continue to tell the truth."
Dr. Fauci has shown that it is possible to tell the truth, even in the toughest of environments, and his handling of the coronavirus should be turned into a case study at all of the IC’s learning entities. It should also be a model for all intelligence officers, including the leaders of the IC, on how to handle oneself.
Dr. Fauci’s honest messaging has advanced the nation’s understanding of the challenge that we face from the virus and the steps we need to take to protect ourselves and our fellow citizens. And his approach most likely played a role in helping to transition the President to his current understanding of the significance of the challenge we face. And maybe, just maybe, Dr. Fauci’s service to the country will help resurrect the concept of the importance of the truth, a concept that has been lost in the partisan politics of the last few years.
Michael Morell is the former Deputy Director and Acting Director of the CIA.
Cipher Brief Expert Kristin Wood is the former Deputy Director of Innovation and Technology at the Open Source Center at CIA. She is a Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center.
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