Doctor who criticized Trump’s behavior removed from Walter Reed schedule: report

An attending physician at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center who called out President Trump for his decision to greet supporters while being treated for the coronavirus has been removed from the hospital’s schedule beginning in January, CBS News reported Monday.

James Phillips, chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University and an attending physician under contract for Walter Reed, criticized Trump in October for his decision to drive with Secret Service agents to greet supporters while he was hospitalized at the Bethesda, Md., facility.

“Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential ‘drive-by’ just now has to be quarantined for 14 days. They might get sick. They may die. For political theater. Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater. This is insanity,” Phillips tweeted.

He later said in an interview that Trump’s “dangerous move” sent the “wrong message.”

Sources told CBS that Phillips was removed from rotation at Walter Reed, though officials there denied that it was their decision.

They told the outlet that the hospital “provides requirements for contract positions. Schedules are determined by the contractor. There was no decision made by anyone at WRNMMC to remove Dr. Phillips from the schedule.”

Phillips was the lone Walter Reed physician to publicly criticize Trump for the stunt, which took place when he was treated for COVID-19 over four days at the medical facility.  

Phillips did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment, nor did Walter Reed officials.