Politico columnist Jack Shafer criticized Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of President Trump’s coronavirus response team, for her outfit during a press conference providing updates on the administration’s effort to combat the virus.
“Those uniforms make Jerome Adams and Brett Giroir look like members of the Heaven’s Gate cult,” Shafer said on Twitter. “Deborah Birx’s outfit makes her look like the cult leader,” he added.
Deborah Birx’s outfit makes her look like the cult leader.
— Jack Shafer (@jackshafer) March 16, 2020
Birx is a military-trained clinician in immunology and world-renowned medical expert with an extensive record of success in the medical field that dates back decades.
Shafer was widely criticized on social media for the tweets, which had received no retweets as of Tuesday morning.
“Vying for a fashion column on @VanityFair Jack?” sports radio host Tony Bruno asked.
vying for a fashion column on @VanityFair Jack?
— Tony Bruno (@TonyBrunoShow) March 16, 2020
“Seriously? In the middle of a pandemic that’s what you’ve got?” one Twitter user wrote. “rEsPeCt aLL WoMeN!” another added.
Author Stephen King recently criticized the coronavirus team as well, dismissing it as “all male, all old, and all white.”
Note that Trump’s coronavirus team is all male, all old, and all white.
— Stephen King (@StephenKing) March 13, 2020
