Michael Caputo, the communications chief at the US health department, is stepping down from his post for two months after accusing government scientists of being part of a criminal conspiracy to undermine the president.
Mr Caputo will stand aside from his position for 60 days, the department said in a statement on Wednesday, days after recording a Facebook video in which he accused public health professionals of forming a seditious “resistance unit” to damage Donald Trump and help his Democratic rival Joe Biden.
The video was widely criticised by public health officials, including Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was also symptomatic of wider tensions between Mr Trump and many of the independent scientists in charge of formulating his administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Caputo said in the video: “There are scientists who work for this government who do not want America to get well, not…
— to www.ft.com
