Scott Atlas, controversial science adviser for Trump, resigns from White House role

Dr. Scott Atlas has resigned as special adviser to President Donald Trump on the coronavirus, according to a White House official, after a controversial four months at the White House in which he clashed repeatedly with other members of the task force responding to the deadly pandemic.

Atlas, a neuro-radiologist with no formal experience in infectious diseases, played down mask-wearing, criticized lockdowns and was openly criticized by Dr Anthony Fauci and rebuked by his colleagues at Stanford.

As of Monday evening, the U.S. had recorded 13,522,247 coronavirus cases and 267,844 deaths, both by far the worst tolls in the world.

'His actions have undermined and threatened public health even as countless lives have been lost to Covid-19.

He once again distanced himself from Atlas earlier this month. "Dr. Atlas's statements reflect his personal views, not those of the Hoover Institution or the university".

Atlas said he was honored to serve in the White House and celebrated the success of Operation Warp Speed developing a vaccine in record time.

"I worked hard with a singular focus-to save lives and help Americans through this pandemic", Atlas wrote, adding that he "always relied on the latest science and evidence, without any political consideration or influence".

In November, he urged people in MI to "rise up" against Covid-19 measures, such as lockdowns to slow the spread of the virus, rather than engage in an all-hands-on-deck effort to defeat the pandemic.

Atlas offered the president a different perspective than numerous bureaucratic federal scientists and officials who put the country in a lockdown to slow the spread of the virus. Twitter in October removed one of Atlas' tweets that claimed incorrectly that masks did not "work" when it came to combatting the coronavirus.

Atlas, a neuroradiologist with no expertise in infectious diseases or epidemiology, was appointed in August on a special 130-day contract.

He also had to apologize this month for an interview with Russia's Kremlin-backed television station RT, saying he was unaware it was a registered foreign agent.

Atlas has also repeatedly downplayed the importance of masks and this month said lockdowns had been "an epic failure" in stopping the spread of the virus.