Tag: Scott Atlas

Scott Atlas resigns as coronavirus adviser to Trump

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Scott Atlas turned in his resignation on Monday from his role as a special adviser to President Trump on the coronavirus, capping off a controversial tenure in which he gained considerable influence while pushing questionable approaches to combating the pandemic. 

Atlas joined the administration in August as a special government employee, meaning he was eligible to serve a 130-day detail. His tenure was slated to expire this week, but he filed his resignation, effective Tuesday, a White House official confirmed on Monday evening.

“I worked hard with a singular focus—to save lives and help Americans through this pandemic,” Atlas wrote in his resignation letter. Continue reading.

Trump’s favorite coronavirus adviser encouraged people to “rise up” against new restrictions

Throughout November, coronavirus cases nationwide have surged. There is no immediate end to the pandemic in sight — but rather than supporting governors in protecting their constituents, federal officials are once again railing against safety measures. Over the weekend, President Trump’s coronavirus adviser told Michigan to “rise up” against the state’s new restrictions.

In September, health experts predicted a “second wave” of coronavirus as the United States moved into flu season, with some warning that it may be worse than the initial wave. Right now, it seems that the U.S. is on track for that to be the case, having recently set a new record after surpassing 1 million new coronavirus cases in a week. In response, a number of states nationwide are tightening up restrictions. On Sunday, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) and the state’s Department of Health and Human services issued a new three-week emergency order.

Michigan’s new restrictions include halts on in-person classes for both high schools and colleges. In addition, restaurants will be closed to indoor dining, gyms will close to group classes, and entertainment facilities like theaters will have to shut down completely. Continue reading.

Trump COVID-19 advisor accused of ‘inciting violence’ after calling for Michigan to ‘rise up’ against Whitmer

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President Donald Trump’s top coronavirus advisor, Dr. Scott Atlas, is being accused of sedition and inciting violence by calling for Michigan to “rise up” after Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer issued new orders to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

“The only way this stops is if people rise up. You get what you accept,” Atlas, who is a radiologist – not an epidemiologist – tweeted Sunday night. He added the hashtags “#FreedomMatters” and “#StepUp” to his tweet.

Last month 14 people were charged in an alleged domestic terror plot to kidnap Governor Whitmer. Some reportedly also had a plan to “overthrow” the government, and some allegedly had “made plans to kidnap Whitmer and commit violence with the hopes of sparking a ‘civil war,'” MLive.com reports, quoting Attorney General Dana Nessel. Continue reading.

‘Herd Immunity’ Is Trump Policy — And It Means A Massive Death Toll

On Friday, the COVID Tracking Project reported that the number of positive coronavirus infections in the last day had reached 170,000, the highest record ever and a number that was, just a few months ago, hard to imagine. It’s now our daily reality, and it’s likely to only get worse.

Other figures are just as frightening. Hospitalizations — one of the clearest signs of the seriousness of the out break —have reached a new high at 69,000, according to the project. Deaths are at a disturbing 1,300, though that rate is almost certain to spike in recent weeks following the more recent spike in cases. And as the newest and largest wave yet engulfs the country, reports have begun to appear of hospitals being overwhelmed with patients, which is almost certainly a precursor to a spike in the case fatality rate.

It’s our horrifying new status quo, and one that experts and observers have been warning would unfold this fall for months. But the mind-boggling truth is that for the Trump administration, everything is pretty much going as planned. Continue reading.

Scott Atlas apologizes for interview with Kremlin-backed RT

The White House coronavirus adviser said he didn’t know the outlet is a registered foreign agent.

Scott Atlas, a White House policy adviser on the coronavirus, apologized on Sunday for “allowing myself to be taken advantage of” by a Russian media outlet backed by the Kremlin.

Atlas said he spoke to RT without realizing the company’s foreign ties.

“I recently did an interview with RT and was unaware they are a registered foreign agent,” tweeted Atlas, a neuroradiologist who joined the White House in August. “I regret doing the interview and apologize for allowing myself to be taken advantage of. I especially apologize to the national security community who is working hard to defend us.” Continue reading.

Math on Trump Covid strategy has millions dying before it works

Trump touts herd immunity approach to COVID-19 that experts warn would kill millions: ‘He’s describing a massacre’

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Insisting during a town hall Tuesday night that Covid-19 will simply disappear on its own—echoing a baseless claim he also made in February, March, April, May, June, July, and August—President Donald Trump touted a so-called “herd immunity” approach to the pandemic that public health experts warn would lead to hundreds of millions of new coronavirus infections and millions of additional deaths.

“We’re gonna be OK. And it is going away,” Trump told ABC‘s George Stephanopoulos. “And it’s probably gonna go away now a lot faster with the vaccine. It would go away without the vaccine, George.”

When Stephanopoulos replied that “many deaths” would result such a scenario, Trump said: “You’ll develop like a herd mentality. It’s gonna be herd developed, and that’s gonna happen. That will all happen. But with a vaccine, I think it will go away very quickly. But I really believe we’re rounding the corner, and I believe that strongly.” Continue reading.

New Trump pandemic adviser pushes controversial ‘herd immunity’ strategy, worrying public health officials

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One of President Trump’s top medical advisers is urging the White House to embrace a controversial “herd immunity” strategy to combat the pandemic, which would entail allowing the coronavirus to spread through most of the population to quickly build resistance to the virus, while taking steps to protect those in nursing homes and other vulnerable populations, according to five people familiar with the discussions.

The administration has already begun to implement some policies along these lines, according to current and former officials as well as experts, particularly with regard to testing.

One of President Trump’s top medical advisers is urging the White House to embrace a controversial “herd immunity” strategy to combat the pandemic, which would entail allowing the coronavirus to spread through most of the population to quickly build resistance to the virus, while taking steps to protect those in nursing homes and other vulnerable populations, according to five people familiar with the discussions.

The administration has already begun to implement some policies along these lines, according to current and former officials as well as experts, particularly with regard to testing.

The approach’s chief proponent is Scott Atlas, a neuroradiologist and fellow at Stanford’s conservative Hoover Institution, who joined the White House in August as a pandemic adviser. He has advocated that the United States adopt the model Sweden has used to respond to the virus outbreak, according to these officials, which relies on lifting restrictions so healthy people can build immunity to the disease rather than limiting social and business interactions to prevent the virus from spreading. Continue reading.