The doctor who criticized President Trump for waving to supporters in a photo while being treated for COVID-19 said he stands by his words despite having been reportedly removed from Walter Reed Hospital’s schedule after the incident.
Dr. James Phillips was removed from the schedule at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center as attending physician two months after accusing Trump of “insanity” for waving to his supporters from a car while he was infected with the coronavirus, according to the Independent. Phillips is also the chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University.
“Today, I worked my final shift at Walter Reed ER,” Phillips wrote in a tweet on Sunday. “I will miss the patients and my military and civilian coworkers — they have been overwhelmingly supportive … I stand by my words, and I regret nothing.”
Today, I worked my final shift at Walter Reed ER. I will miss the patients and my military and civilian coworkers – they have been overwhelmingly supportive. I’m honored to have worked there and I look forward to new opportunities. I stand by my words, and I regret nothing.
— James P. Phillips, MD (@DrPhillipsMD) December 28, 2020
The Washington Examiner reached out to Phillips. Walter Reed could not be reached for comment.
After contracting COVID-19 this fall, Trump was driven around the medical center with Secret Service agents waving at supporters two days after his admittance.
Phillips soon took to Twitter and TV appearances to discuss the incident.
“Every single person … in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary presidential ‘drive-by’ just now has to be quarantined for 14 days,” Phillips said in a now-deleted tweet. “They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity.”
The coronavirus has now infected over 19 million people in the country, and health experts expect cases to rise after a weekend of record high travel during the Christmas season. Over 330,000 people have died of complications related to the virus.
