Michigan’s Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer is blasting White House coronavirus adviser Dr. Scott Atlas after he called on Michiganders to “rise up” against public health measures aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. On Sunday, Atlas tweeted, “The only way this stops is if people rise up. You get what you accept.” Atlas’s tweet came just over a month after the FBI said it had broken up a plot by at least 14 men to attack the Michigan state Capitol and to kidnap Governor Whitmer. Whitmer later said Atlas’s tweet “took my breath away.” She spoke with CNN on Sunday evening.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: “We know that the White House likes to single us out here in Michigan, me out in particular. I’m not going to be bullied into not following reputable scientists and medical professionals.”
On Monday, Stanford University issued a statement distancing itself from Dr. Scott Atlas — who’s currently on leave as a senior fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution. The statement read, “Dr. Atlas has expressed views that are inconsistent with the university’s approach in response to the pandemic.”