Trump Administration COVID-19 Advisers Opposed CDC Lockdown Guidelines - US House Panel

Trump administration officials opposed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for containing the coronavirus pandemic and instead pushed for a "dangerous" herd immunity strategy, the US House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis (HSSCC) said in a press release on Friday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th April, 2021) Trump administration officials opposed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for containing the coronavirus pandemic and instead pushed for a "dangerous" herd immunity strategy, the US House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis (HSSCC) said in a press release on Friday.

"Documents previously obtained by the Select Subcommittee indicated Dr. [Scott] Atlas and Dr. [Paul] Alexander played key roles in the promotion of a dangerous herd immunity strategy at the White House," the release said.

Also on Friday, HSSCC Chairman James Clyburn sent letters to doctors Atlas, Alexander and Steven Hatfill who all served as COVID-19 advisers to the Trump administration seeking documents and transcribed interviews regarding their roles in its pandemic response.

Clyburn wrote to Alexander, "In emails to other political appointees, you bragged that CDC reports showed more 'good news' about the pandemic following your intervention, stating, 'small victory but a victory nonetheless and yippee!'"

An opinion-editorial published in the New York Post under Atlas's name on September 15, 2020 acknowledged that if universities stayed open during the pandemic, cases would increase among young people, "but that shouldn't be a cause for panic," it said.

On September 3, 2020, Alexander had asked Atlas to draft an op-ed to oppose getting children to wear face masks and closing schools during the pandemic, the release said.