U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he has pulled federal security protection for former top U.S. health official Dr. Anthony Fauci.

ASHEVILLE, North Carolina - US President Donald Trump said on Jan 24 that Dr Anthony Fauci, a top infectious disease official who has faced threats since leading the country's Covid-19 response, cannot have government-provided security forever and urged him to hire his own.

On Jan. 22, posts on the social media platform X alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin wanted to extradite Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to the U.S. president from 2021 to 2022, to Russia as part of a deal to stop the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The posts provided no evidence to support the claim.

President Donald Trump said he would feel no responsibility if Anthony Fauci or John Bolton were attacked after he moved to strip their government security in the opening days of his presidential term.

Fauci served as the leading US infectious disease expert during the COVID-19 pandemic, was under security provided by the NIH.

A few hours before handing over power to Donald Trump, Joe Biden granted a preemptive pardon to Dr. Anthony Fauci, former head of the White House's Covid response. He also granted it to

Joe Biden in some of his final acts as U.S. president on Monday pardoned Dr. Anthony Fauci, retired general Mark Milley, House committee members who investigated the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and members of his own family.

Joe Biden has issued preemptive pardons to Dr Anthony Fauci, General Mark A Milley, and members of the January 6 Committee ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration.

President Biden granted a slew of last-minute preemptive pardons on Jan. 20, including to Dr. Anthony Fauci and members of the January 6th committee.

The 'controversial' pardons come just hours before Donald Trump was to be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.