White House COVID-19 adviser Scott Atlas apologizes for Russia Today interview

Dr. Scott Atlas. Image via AP.

A controversial member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force apologized Sunday for doing an interview with Russia Today.

RT America is registered as a foreign agent with the U.S. Department of Justice. But Dr. Scott Atlas, a task force appointee hand-picked by President Donald Trump, appeared on the network Saturday without permission from the White House.

“I recently did an interview with RT and was unaware they are a registered foreign agent,” Atlas tweeted. “I regret doing the interview and apologize for allowing myself to be taken advantage of. I especially apologize to the national security community who is working hard to defend us.”

Atlas, a radiologist and senior fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, gave a 26-minute interview from the White House, calling the pandemic tragic. But the “frenzy” on the focus of cases a distortion of the virus’ effect.

“It’s a deadly pandemic, there’s no understating that,” Atlas said. “We’ve had 230,000 lives roughly lost from the virus and certainly many lost from the policy of shutdowns.”

But he remained critical of lockdowns, repeating a refrain that has been a driving argument in lifting closures across the country.

“The lockdowns will go down as an epic failure of public policy,” Atlas added. “The argument is undeniable. The lockdowns are killing people.”

In August, Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted Atlas on a three-stop trip to Florida beginning at the Capitol. At those appearances, Atlas criticized lockdowns at pushed back against the need for widespread testing.

Florida was in Phase Two of its reopening strategy when Atlas visited. Less than a month later, DeSantis ordered all state-level business and gathering restrictions lifted until Phase Three.

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director and White House Coronavirus Task Force member Anthony Fauci was openly critical of Atlas and the Trump administration’s COVID-19 response in an interview with The Washington Post, published Saturday.

Later that day, the White House came to Atlas’ defense, shooting back at the prominent infectious disease expert.

“It’s unacceptable and breaking with all norms for Dr. Fauci, a senior member of the President’s Coronavirus Taskforce and someone who has praised President Trump’s actions throughout this pandemic, to choose three days before an election to play politics,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere said in a statement to CNN.