The head of disaster medicine at George Washington University has been contracted to Walter Reed and has been removed from the Army’s hospital plan after criticizing the president, who was treated in hospital for Covid-19 for taking his car and secret service agents said in an effort to wave to fans outside in October, a source familiar with the situation told CNN. He will continue his work at the George Washington School of Medicine.
“I am delighted to have worked there and look forward to new opportunities. I stand by my words and regret nothing,” he wrote.
Walter Reed’s National Military Medical Center in the hospital ‘made no decision’ to remove Phillips from the schedule in a statement to CNN Monday.
“As you may know, Dr. Phillips worked as a contract employee at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), which provides contract agency requirements for contract employees,” the hospital said. “The contract agency then works with contract workers to determine individual schedules.”
The White House declined to comment on CNN on Monday, and George Washington did not immediately return a message.
Phillips called the president’s driveway “completely unnecessary” and said Trump was endangering lives for “political theater” in an October tweet that has since been removed.
“The presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attacks,” he tweeted. “The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My mind is that the secret service is being forced to play.”
He continued: ‘Every person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary’ drive-through ‘of the President now only has to be quarantined for 14 days. They can get sick. They can die. For political theater. On Trump’s order to post their lives. danger to theater. This is insanity. ‘