A planned museum exhibit celebrating Dr. Anthony Fauci has been scrapped after the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) exposed it as yet another example of taxpayer waste. The $170,000 project, intended for the National Museum of Health and Medicine, was set to be completed by mid-2025 but was eliminated as part of a broader effort to cut unnecessary spending.
In just 48 hours, DOGE and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) canceled 62 contracts totaling $182 million. None of the cuts affected actual healthcare services, but they did put an end to funding for Fauci’s exhibit—something many taxpayers would argue should never have been approved in the first place.
Fauci, who led the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for nearly four decades, became a controversial figure during the COVID-19 pandemic. His guidance on lockdowns, mask mandates, and forced vaccinations led to public frustration, economic harm, and widespread distrust in government institutions. That the federal government planned to honor him with a taxpayer-funded museum display only added to the outrage.
The exhibit’s cancellation comes after another financial perk was taken away from Fauci—his government-funded security detail. President Donald Trump revoked this benefit, ending taxpayer spending on his post-government protection. Now, DOGE’s intervention has made sure that Americans will not be paying for a museum display in his name either.
Adding to the debate, Fauci remains under investigation by multiple state attorneys general who are reviewing his handling of pandemic policies. Despite receiving a sweeping pardon from former President Joe Biden, legal scrutiny over his decisions continues. The fact that a museum exhibit was planned for him while these investigations were taking shape raises further questions about government priorities.
While some in Washington may have hoped to secure Fauci’s legacy with a museum tribute, DOGE’s actions ensure that taxpayer money will no longer be used to celebrate a figure whose role in public health remains highly controversial.
