WATCH: Fauci says he's 'absolutely not' stepping down

Dr. Anthony Fauci of NIAID declared on Fox News that he is "absolutely not" stepping down after the prolonged battle against the COVID-19 pandemic that President Joe Biden vowed to eradicate on the 2020 campaign trail.

The corporate media has thus far brought on Dr. Anthony Fauci of the Biden administration's COVID-19 response team to make remarks about the newest Omicron variant of the virus. According to POLITICO, Fauci rejected Fox News interview requests for months, until the Friday afternoon TV hit with Neil Cavuto.

The interview host asked Fauci if he's had enough of the spotlight after two years.

Cavuto outlined the history of how the American people first tolerated Fauci back during the Trump administration. But after the feud between himself and Senator Rand Paul about gain-of-function and what knowledge Fauci might otherwise privately have about COVID-19's origins, Fauci was pressed if he's tired of it all.

"No, absolutely not, Neil. And you know you talk about … people put data out like, 'He's this popularity or not,' I'm not running a popularity contest for myself. I'm a physician. I'm a scientist, and I'm a public health person. The only thing I care about, Neil, is helping to preserve and protect the health of the American public … and indirectly in that regard since we're a leader in the world, protecting the health and the safety of the entire world. Because that's what we do. That's what I've done for the 50 years I've been a physician and for the almost 40 years that I've been the director of the institute. So whether people on one side or the other like me or don't like me, that's not relevant to me," Fauci responded.

Fauci said the chatter about popularity is noise. FOIA emails from back in October reveal otherwise, about how Fauci reads the papers and expresses high amounts of interest in what critics have to say about the COVID-19 point person.

Friday's exchange comes off of the background that Fauci was annoyed that Fox News didn't pushback against commentator Lara Logan's remarks about him being comparable to a WWII Nazi doctor. Fauci also responded to the disappointments about his 180-degree flip-flop on masks.

The overwhelmingly negative fan reviews about Fauci's National Geographic documentary special became part of that perception complex.

"I can understand how that's the case. But I think you have to admit, Neil, that there really has been a considerable degree of politicization about all of this, and I've stayed out of politics for my entire career," Fauci said.

"But there's such divisiveness in the country that since I'm a visible person, and I’m out there a lot trying to get the public health messages … I can understand how I can be the target of criticism," Fauci stated.

Earlier this week, Fauci was questioned about whether or not the most recent COVID-19 rules applied to illegals crossing the US - Mexico border.

Cavuto also asked Fauci what he meant when he said "I represent science" in response to his critics. "I can take criticism and I'm not being pejorative against critics. What I'm saying ... If you look at what I'm talking about, Neil, the only thing I'm saying is that it's important for people to get vaccinated – because as a scientist and a physician and a public health person – I mean it's very, very clear the extraordinary benefit of vaccines to protect you against infection, to protect you against severe disease, hospitalization and death," Fauci stated.