Trump COVID-19 official faces backlash for telling Michigan to ‘rise up’ against restrictions
Dr. Scott Atlas told Michigan residents to 'rise up' against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's new COVID-19 restrictions.
One of President Donald Trump‘s COVID-19 advisors faced criticism for his response to Michigan’s newly installed coronavirus policies.
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On his currently private Twitter account, Dr. Scott Atlas shared instructions to “rise up,” to stop lockdown procedures implemented in Michigan.
“The only way this stops is if people rise up,” Atlas said on Twitter over the weekend. “You get what you accept. #FreedomMatters #StepUp.”
Dr. Atlas attempted to clarify his glaring message in a follow-up tweet hours later.
“Hey. I NEVER was talking about violence. People vote, people peacefully protest. NEVER would I endorse or incite violence. NEVER!” he tweeted.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently installed new policies that restricted in-person work, all public and private gatherings, closed nonessential businesses, schools, and more locals with only a few exceptions. Many criticized Atlas for seemingly inciting violence, especially after the plot against Whitmer’s safety. Dr. Atlas’ tweet followed a pattern of the Trump administration targeting the midwestern politician.
In October, the FBI revealed an uncovered plot to kidnap and harm Whitmer in response to previously established coronavirus precautions mandated by the state of Michigan. theGrio reported multiple individuals were arrested in the conspiracy targeting the Democrat governor. Whitmer believed Trump’s rhetoric influenced the men arrested.
“When our leaders speak, their words matter,” she said according to theGrio. “They carry weight.”
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She similarly spoke out against Dr. Atlas’ tweets on MSNBC.
“It actually took my breath away to tell you the truth,” Whitmer remarked. We are in the midst of the worst weeks of this pandemic. We’ve been going through this for 9 months and the numbers are as bad as they’ve been at any given time, so we have to take aggressive measures.”
Stanford University made a public statement on Monday regarding Dr. Atlas’ stance. He is currently on leave from his position advisor as a senior fellow at Hoover Institution to serve as Trump’s advisor. According to his university bio, Dr. Atlas “investigates the impact of government and the private sector on access, quality, and pricing in health care, global trends in health care innovation, and key economic issues related to the future of technology-based medical advances.”
“Dr. Atlas has expressed views that are inconsistent with the university’s approach in response to the pandemic. Dr. Atlas’s statements reflect his personal views, not those of the Hoover Institution or the university,” the memo announced.
The sentiments were also shared on Twitter.
Dr. Anthony Fauci recently spoke out against Dr. Atlas’ response to COVID-19 as the White House advisor to the pandemic. theGrio reported the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and trusted voice in the fight against coronavirus distanced himself from the Trump-affiliated medical professional.
“I don’t want to say anything against Dr. Atlas as a person, but I totally disagree with the stand he takes. I just do, period,” Fauci said.
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