16 Nov 2020 8:58 pm
Dr. Scott Atlas under fire for telling Michigan to 'rise up' against COVID-19 restrictions.
Dr. Scott Atlas, a controversial member of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force, is facing heavy criticism after telling Michiganders to "rise up" against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's new COVID-19 restrictions imposed as new cases surge in the state.
Whitmer has denounced Atlas' call to action, in a call with Michigan Capitol reporters Monday morning, slamming it as "incredibly reckless, considering everything that has happened, everything that is going on."
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top expert on infectious diseases, told NBC's "Today" program Monday he "totally disagrees" with Atlas, and Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown University's School of Public Health, called the comment "particularly irresponsible," noting the death threats officials say Whitmer has faced.
"He is supposedly a physician and a disgrace to our profession," Jha said in a tweet Sunday night.
Whitmer, a Democrat who has come under frequent fire from Trump, detailed a new order Sunday to help slow the spread of the virus as the country enters a new wave resembling its peak in April.
In response to the rising number of cases, starting Wednesday for three weeks, Michigan will suspend in-person instruction at high schools and colleges, halt indoor dining at restaurants and close some businesses, including movie theaters and casinos.
Shortly after the announcement, Atlas, a neuroradiologist with no training in infectious diseases who joined the White House coronavirus task force in August and has since railed against COVID-19 restrictions, tweeted, "The only way this stops is if people rise up. You get what you accept. #FreedomMatters #StepUp."
The language echoed Trump's previous calls to "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!"
About three hours after the original tweet, Atlas attempted to walk back his comment as the criticism poured in, saying he wasn't talking about violence but raised people peacefully protesting and voting.
But Jha noted in his tweet that Whitmer is not up for election until 2022 and that Atlas "was not telling people to vote when he said they should rise up against her."
It all comes a little over a month after authorities revealed an alleged plot to overthrow the state Capitol and kidnap Whitmer. Individuals charged in the plot had protested against Whitmer's stringent restrictions which Trump also repeatedly criticized.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/dr-scot ... d=74234276
Stanford Disavows Statements From Hoover Institution Fellow, White House Advisor Dr. Scott Atlas
Dr. Scott Atlas, a controversial member of President Donald Trump's coronavirus task force, is facing heavy criticism after telling Michiganders to "rise up" against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's new COVID-19 restrictions imposed as new cases surge in the state.
Whitmer has denounced Atlas' call to action, in a call with Michigan Capitol reporters Monday morning, slamming it as "incredibly reckless, considering everything that has happened, everything that is going on."
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top expert on infectious diseases, told NBC's "Today" program Monday he "totally disagrees" with Atlas, and Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown University's School of Public Health, called the comment "particularly irresponsible," noting the death threats officials say Whitmer has faced.
"He is supposedly a physician and a disgrace to our profession," Jha said in a tweet Sunday night.
Whitmer, a Democrat who has come under frequent fire from Trump, detailed a new order Sunday to help slow the spread of the virus as the country enters a new wave resembling its peak in April.
In response to the rising number of cases, starting Wednesday for three weeks, Michigan will suspend in-person instruction at high schools and colleges, halt indoor dining at restaurants and close some businesses, including movie theaters and casinos.
Shortly after the announcement, Atlas, a neuroradiologist with no training in infectious diseases who joined the White House coronavirus task force in August and has since railed against COVID-19 restrictions, tweeted, "The only way this stops is if people rise up. You get what you accept. #FreedomMatters #StepUp."
The language echoed Trump's previous calls to "LIBERATE MICHIGAN!"
About three hours after the original tweet, Atlas attempted to walk back his comment as the criticism poured in, saying he wasn't talking about violence but raised people peacefully protesting and voting.
But Jha noted in his tweet that Whitmer is not up for election until 2022 and that Atlas "was not telling people to vote when he said they should rise up against her."
It all comes a little over a month after authorities revealed an alleged plot to overthrow the state Capitol and kidnap Whitmer. Individuals charged in the plot had protested against Whitmer's stringent restrictions which Trump also repeatedly criticized.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/dr-scot ... d=74234276
Stanford Disavows Statements From Hoover Institution Fellow, White House Advisor Dr. Scott Atlas