Whitmer responds to Atlas: I won’t ‘be bullied into not following reputable scientists’

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) fired back at Scott Atlas, one of President Trump’s coronavirus task force advisers, on Sunday after Atlas criticized a set of restrictions on public life in Michigan meant to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Atlas earlier Sunday evening tweeted that “the only way this stops is if people rise up,” referring to Whitmer’s decision to end indoor dining in Michigan restaurants as well as in-person learning in high schools and universities.

“You get what you accept,” he added.

The only way this stops is if people rise up. You get what you accept. #FreedomMatters #StepUp https://t.co/8QKBszgKTM

— Scott W. Atlas (@SWAtlasHoover) November 15, 2020

Whitmer told CNN on Saturday that the remarks were the latest effort by the White House to single her out, as the Democratic governor of a swing state, over her response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has surged in the form of risings rates of new cases around the nation in recent days.

“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,” the governor told Wolf Blitzer.

“If everyone does their part, we will see a big benefit from it,” she added of the new restrictions. “But we’ll be assessing it every step of the way.”

MI Gov. Gretchen Whitmer: “I’m not going to be bullied into not following reputable scientists and medical professionals.” pic.twitter.com/PKPIQRukM4

— The Hill (@thehill) November 16, 2020

Atlas is a major skeptic of lockdown efforts around the country, a rarity on the president’s coronavirus task force that has put him at odds with infectious diseases experts such as Anthony Fauci.

The U.S. passed 11 million confirmed cases of the virus on Sunday after officials recorded roughly 1 million new cases over the past seven days.