The notion that Fauci lied is a reality-twisting talking point that should have died long ago...
In the early days of the Pandemic, the virus was not yet widely spread. But there was a shortage of masks for healthcare workers.
So Fauci informed the general public that they did not need masks (as in they didn't need masks AS BADLY as hospitals did, where there was a higher concentration of covid). Had he told the public to wear masks, they would have used up supplies that healthcare workers needed. This would have increased their risk due to lack of PPE. If the healthcare workers got sick they would have been overwhelmed and more people would die.
Fauci said and did the right thing. He deserves credit.