Fauci told the Financial Times that "As we get out of the full-blown pandemic phase of Covid-19, which we are certainly heading out of, these decisions will increasingly be made on a local level rather than centrally decided or mandated. There will also be more people making their own decisions on how they want to deal with the virus." In March 2022, Fauci said that the United States should expect an increase in COVID-19 cases from the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron, but that it might not lead to a severe increase in hospitalizations and deaths. On April 27, 2022, Fauci said that the United States was "out of the full-blown explosive pandemic phase" of COVID-19. On May 15, 2022, Fauci said that he would resign if Donald Trump wins the 2024 U.S. presidential election. In a July 2022 interview with Politico, Fauci had been reported to be "leaving by the end of President Joe Biden's term", though he later clarified he may step down from his role as NIAID director. Fauci also told Politico he is seeking to "help repair the widespread partisan polarization that has divided the nation and politicized science". On August 22, 2022, Fauci announced that he will step down from his position in December "to pursue the next chapter" of his career. He stepped down from his position on December 31 of that same year. Cultural impact Owing to his prominent role in the United States response to numerous global pandemics, most notably HIV/AIDS and COVID-19, Fauci has become the subject of tributes and interpretations across various media, including television, literature, merchandising, and internet memes. Brad Pitt's performance as Fauci during the 2020 season of Saturday Night Live earned the actor an Emmy nomination, and praise from Fauci. Author Sally Quinn has credited Fauci as the inspiration for the love interest to the protagonist in her bestselling 1991 romance novel Happy Endings. Larry Kramer based the character Dr. Anthony Della Vida on Fauci in his play The Destiny of Me. In the spring of 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, bakeries across the United States began selling pastries, particularly donuts, with Fauci's face on them to pay tribute to his work in the public health sector. In September 2021, Fauci, a documentary film about Fauci's life and career, was released by Magnolia Pictures. The film was produced by National Geographic Documentary Films. In November 2021, Skyhorse released