In a surprising move, former President Donald Trump has reportedly cut off Dr. Anthony Fauci’s government-provided security detail. According to a source close to the matter, the protection, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, was withdrawn on Thursday night.

Fauci, who has faced ongoing threats due to his high-profile role during the Covid-19 pandemic, has now turned to private security, paying for it out of his own pocket. This decision comes as Trump continues to revoke security details from other former officials, including ex-national security adviser John Bolton and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

When questioned about the move during a visit to North Carolina, Trump shrugged it off, saying, “At some point, your security detail comes off. They all made a lot of money. They can hire their own security.”

The former president also took a jab at President Joe Biden, criticizing his decision to pardon Fauci before leaving office. Trump claimed he was unaware of who awarded Fauci a presidential commendation during the pandemic, despite being the one to present it.

Fauci, who served as the nation’s top infectious diseases expert for nearly four decades, has been a frequent target of far-right critics. Earlier this year, he revealed that death threats against him and his family surged after public figures linked him to Covid-19 conspiracy theories.

“It’s a pattern,” Fauci said in June. “When someone claims I’m responsible for deaths or created the virus, the threats spike immediately.”

This latest development adds another layer to the ongoing tension between Trump and former officials who served under his administration.