Dr. Scott Atlas, one of the Trump administration's top coronavirus advisers, apologized on Sunday after making an appearance on the Russian television network RT.
"I recently did an interview with RT and was unaware they are a registered foreign agent," Atlas revealed on Twitter. "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."
I recently did an interview with RT and was unaware they are a registered foreign agent. I regret doing the intervi… https://t.co/NDQvSCRcR3— Scott W. Atlas (@Scott W. Atlas) 1604253847.0
White House sources later told CNN's Jim Acosta that Atlas did not seek permission to appear on the Russian outlet.
Senior WH official tells @Acosta that Dr. Scott Atlas didn't have clearance from the WH for his interview with RT.… https://t.co/HUi0r4wDMe— Alexander Hunter (@Alexander Hunter) 1604257324.0
Users on Twitter blasted Atlas after his mea culpa.
Read some of the tweets below.
@SWAtlasHoover That's half of the apology, Sparky. The other half is providing misinformation to the American publ… https://t.co/gPXxVZTA2q— Monty 🇺🇸Hamilton's Battery🇺🇸 Boa (@Monty 🇺🇸Hamilton's Battery🇺🇸 Boa) 1604255039.0
@SWAtlasHoover Yah, wow. Hard to know. It's been everywhere for 15 years except on Fox. NPR… https://t.co/uWTUA8pE1y— Kurt "Masks Save Lives" Eichenwald (@Kurt "Masks Save Lives" Eichenwald) 1604256110.0
@SWAtlasHoover How in the WORLD did you not know RT was an agent of the Russian government? My thirteen year old kn… https://t.co/R0q61CJTjU— Tami Burages (@Tami Burages) 1604254177.0
@SWAtlasHoover I regret being called out publicly for doing something I absolutely knew better than to do, unless I… https://t.co/coLzkadlTc— Jaynie's Got a Bun (@Jaynie's Got a Bun) 1604254614.0
@SWAtlasHoover Scott Atlas is as willfully ignorant towards the Kremlin as he is with Covid. Both of which are national security issues!— Irishrygirl (@Irishrygirl) 1604255575.0
@SWAtlasHoover "I accidentally found myself in Putin's home, no idea how I got there...was walking the Appalachian… https://t.co/LDTskjRORV— Henry (@Henry) 1604254695.0
@SWAtlasHoover Did you check with Michael Flynn to make sure you got the going rate? It should be at least 30 piece… https://t.co/naxD2KOoHL— Monty 🇺🇸Hamilton's Battery🇺🇸 Boa (@Monty 🇺🇸Hamilton's Battery🇺🇸 Boa) 1604255112.0
@afamilyguy @SWAtlasHoover He gave an interview from the White House to a foreign adversary, who has bounties on ou… https://t.co/KtzcjlE0Er— E pluribus unum - Qui tacet consentit (@E pluribus unum - Qui tacet consentit) 1604255689.0
@SWAtlasHoover Dude. How many things can one person be stupid about?— David Hobby (@David Hobby) 1604254250.0
@SWAtlasHoover go eat a big barrel of pig assholes— kilgore trout (@kilgore trout) 1604254393.0
@SWAtlasHoover Now apologize to the nation for pushing quackery which is putting millions of people's health at risk.— Chris D. Jackson (@Chris D. Jackson) 1604254419.0
@MattNegrin @SWAtlasHoover Implausible deniabity Dude's an MD Not going to wash in Dr Atlas's upcoming trial— Navdeep Singh Rajwanshi (@Navdeep Singh Rajwanshi) 1604256838.0
@gorskon @SWAtlasHoover He is either a fool or incompetent. In either case he has become a danger to the country. W… https://t.co/F3XN0ZVoyR— Dr. E.B. Webster (@Dr. E.B. Webster) 1604256997.0
@SWAtlasHoover Pro tip: Resignation is the usual move for something this insanely stupid.— Resolve.Action.Love (@Resolve.Action.Love) 1604254971.0
@SWAtlasHoover If only you were at a level of government where you had easy access to, say, people who study that k… https://t.co/b3UXRYBNyw— Crash Test Meg, MPA (@Crash Test Meg, MPA) 1604254976.0
@SWAtlasHoover If you’re not smart enough to know you’re being played by Russian than you’re not smart enough to be… https://t.co/elusowUpZp— Irishrygirl (@Irishrygirl) 1604255130.0
@SWAtlasHoover I unblocked you just for the pleasure of observing your complete humiliation.— Benjamin Dreyer (@Benjamin Dreyer) 1604255142.0
@SWAtlasHoover Oh bullshit. You are spreading disinformation right out of their playbook and people are dying. We d… https://t.co/tOK5ezNzCM— Fred Wellman (@Fred Wellman) 1604255197.0
@SWAtlasHoover Never before has an administration and campaign had so much accidental contact with Russia https://t.co/HGHJPFYVGQ— Jaynie's Got a Bun (@Jaynie's Got a Bun) 1604254699.0
@SWAtlasHoover "I was unaware Russia Today was a foreign agent" is one hell of a self own.— It's Too Much Man (@It's Too Much Man) 1604254194.0
@RexChapman @SWAtlasHoover This man got fooled by a group literally called Russia Today, a name almost as on-the-no… https://t.co/vWGvPOUrhq— Larry 🦅 (@Larry 🦅) 1604255807.0
@SWAtlasHoover Yes, we should all really trust the word of a Trump accomplice who wants everyone in the nation to g… https://t.co/piaWEWUR9V— MURRAY🧢🇺🇸 (@MURRAY🧢🇺🇸) 1604257471.0
