Dr. Scott Atlas labeled the chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, a "political animal" while also junking the idea of further pandemic lockdowns in the U.S.

Atlas, a coronavirus adviser to President Donald Trump, made the comments during a nightly appearance on Fox News with host Laura Ingraham. He criticized Fauci hours after the country's top infectious disease expert gave his latest assessment on the state of the pandemic.

Atlas, who was appointed by Trump in August, lambasted Fauci for saying in October that the U.S. "could not be positioned more poorly" as it heads into the winter months and then more recently commending Pfizer's COVID treatment and saying it may be available for high-priority patients as early as December.

Trump has falsely claimed that Fauci is a Democrat and described him as a "disaster," as the two have for weeks not seen each other in person when it comes to the coronavirus response.

Unlike Fauci and Dr. Michael Osterholm - director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy Dr. Scott Atlas labeled the chief of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, a "political animal" while also junking the idea of further pandemic lockdowns in the U.S.

Atlas, a coronavirus adviser to President Donald Trump, made the comments during a nightly appearance on Fox News with host Laura Ingraham. He criticized Fauci hours after the country's top infectious disease expert gave his latest assessment on the state of the pandemic.

Atlas, who was appointed by Trump in August, lambasted Fauci for saying in October that the U.S. "could not be positioned more poorly" as it heads into the winter months and then more recently commending Pfizer's COVID treatment and saying it may be available for high-priority patients as early as December.

Trump has falsely claimed that Fauci is a Democrat and described him as a "disaster," as the two have for weeks not seen each other in person when it comes to the coronavirus response.

Unlike Fauci and Dr. Michael Osterholm - director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy - Atlas is a neuroradiologist who lacks formal training in infectious diseases.

Osterholm, who is also the newly minted member of United States president-elect Joe Biden's coronavirus task force, has warned of "COVID hell" in the coming winter and spoke in favor of further lockdowns.

But Atlas had a different take. He said "lockdowns will kill people, destroy families, and increase the risks of suicide and drug overdose," among other bad things, HuffPost quoted him as saying.

Atlas has drawn criticism for promoting COVID herd immunity - the concept that the virus will become manageable once more people are infected with it and produce antibodies - as a solution to contain the disease. Fauci has called herd immunity both nonsensical and dangerous.

Atlas claimed that anybody who is in favor of lockdowns "just either doesn't know the science, doesn't understand the science or is lying. It's one of those three."

 Atlas is a neuroradiologist who lacks formal training in infectious diseases.

Osterholm, who is also the newly minted member of United States president-elect Joe Biden's coronavirus task force, has warned of "COVID hell" in the coming winter and spoke in favor of further lockdowns.

But Atlas had a different take. He said "lockdowns will kill people, destroy families, and increase the risks of suicide and drug overdose," among other bad things, HuffPost quoted him as saying.

Atlas has drawn criticism for promoting COVID herd immunity - the concept that the virus will become manageable once more people are infected with it and produce antibodies - as a solution to contain the disease. Fauci has called herd immunity both nonsensical and dangerous.

Atlas claimed that anybody who is in favor of lockdowns "just either doesn't know the science, doesn't understand the science or is lying. It's one of those three."