Amid the nation's panic, a bipartisan figure rose to prominence as a beacon of truth and science in the era of fake news. As a leading expert on infectious diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci has shown America that although we don't have all the answers, someone knows what he's doing.

The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is a prominent member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, and after he and Dr. Deborah Birx presented a new model that showed that as many as 2 million people could die, President Donald Trump decided to lengthen lockdown guidelines.

A fixture in the press and situation rooms, Fauci has inspired loving memes, merch and even doughnuts—as well as threats to his personal safety. Far-right pundits target the doctor for his Democratic connections and tendency to correct the president's statements. But as he told Science magazine, "I'm going to keep pushing."