A group of medical professionals at Stanford University are criticizing Dr. Scott Atlas, an adviser on COVID-19 to President Trump and fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institute, claiming that his counsel “runs counter to science,” in a letter to the institution’s medical community.
Dr. Atlas’s colleagues accuse him of “encouraging transmission” of the virus, referring to the encouragement of herd immunity, which will eventually control the spread of the virus. Dr. Atlas denied these claims and condemned fear mongering, in a series of tweets:
2/4 This I know:
— Scott W. Atlas (@SWAtlasHoover) September 12, 2020
-Earth is round, not flat
-Sun is the center of the solar system, not Earth
-Risk of serious illness or death from C-19 is extr hi for elderly w/comorb's & very low for kids
-Prolonged lockdowns r killing people, destroying families, harming kids esp the poor
4/4
— Scott W. Atlas (@SWAtlasHoover) September 12, 2020
Instilling fear among Americans based on lies, ignorance, and personal political preference is despicable.
The truth will prevail. #FactsMatter
The medical experts behind the letter claim to air their concerns exclusively in the interest of public health, but the group is hardly nonpartisan. The vast majority of co-signers have donated to Democrats or left-leaning interest groups:
Of the 107 signatories to the letter attacking Scott Atlas - 74 have made contributions to Democrats and left-learning initiatives. $417,434 in contributions over the past several cycles. Including $50K to Obama, $40K to Hillary, and over $83K to national Democratic Committees. pic.twitter.com/SImmG2hmXF
— Justin Hart (@justin_hart) September 13, 2020
Of the 107 signers to the Stanford letter attacking Scott Atlas 69% of them have given $ to Democratic causes - including Joe Biden! But NOT ONE CENT to @realDonaldTrump
— Justin Hart (@justin_hart) September 14, 2020
In fact, Stanford is so filled with liberals, employees have given Biden $178,188 and Trump just $8,053 pic.twitter.com/EFR9LHzBj8
The coronavirus task force is not a partisan entity, and exists to develop the federal government’s response to COVID-19 with the counsel of medical professionals. Politicizing the virus does a disservice to the American people and only creates public distrust in the federal government.