Dr. Scott Atlas is facing criticism for comments he made encouraging people to disobey Michigan’s coronavirus restrictions, indicating another rift between him and his colleagues working on the Trump administration’s COVID-19 response.
Atlas, a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, criticized new restrictions put forth by Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over the weekend in a tweet, saying, “The only way this stops is if people rise up. You get what you accept. #FreedomMatters #StepUp.”
Whitmer painted the comments as an attempt from the White House to single her and Michigan out on the way they have handled the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 11 million people in the United States.
“I’m not going to be bullied into not following reputable scientists and medical professionals,” Whitmer told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.
MI Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: “I’m not going to be bullied into not following reputable scientists and medical professionals.” pic.twitter.com/PKPIQRukM4
— The Hill (@thehill) November 16, 2020
Michigan, which has had over 270,000 cases and more than 8,000 deaths, reinforced new lockdown measures after the state saw an uptick in cases.
Among the new restrictions, Whitmer paused in-person learning for high schools and colleges and closed indoor dining, theaters, stadiums, and organized sports, with the exception of professional athletes.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel defended the state’s approach for attempting to corral cases, condemning Atlas’s comments.
“This statement is disappointing, irresponsible, and the reason why the United States finds itself in such desperate circumstances regarding COVID-19,” Nessel said in a tweet. “I look forward to a new federal administration that works cooperatively with our state government to protect Michigan residents.”
This statement is disappointing, irresponsible, and the reason why the United States finds itself in such desperate circumstances regarding COVID-19. I look forward to a new federal administration that works cooperatively with our state government to protect Michigan residents. https://t.co/OAnb0epnNh
— Dana Nessel (@dananessel) November 16, 2020
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a fellow member of the task force, also rejected his colleague’s comments on Michigan’s new orders.
“I totally disagree with him,” Fauci said Monday on the Today show. “I totally disagree with the stand he takes. I just do, period.”
Atlas has often been critical of economic lockdowns in a similar vein to President Trump. A neuroradiologist and fellow at the conservative Hoover Institution based out of Stanford University, Atlas has received criticism for his opinions questioning the efficacy of masks and the rate at which people are getting infected.
Dr. Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has privately made comments about the influence Atlas has over the task force.
“Everything he says is false,” Redfield said in September during a phone call he made in public during a commercial flight that was overheard by NBC News.
