Former Trump Official Ripped After Turning On The Administration

The former U.S. surgeon general who served President Donald Trump in his first term has turned on his old boss and his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., following the deadly shooting at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta.

Jerome Adams, who served as Trump’s surgeon general from September 2017 until the end of his first term, blasted Kennedy for his “delayed and tepid response” following the fatal CDC attack last Friday. Adams made his position “clear” in an op-ed that the shooting was “a dire reflection of ever-escalating threats public health workers face in a climate increasingly shaped by misinformation, politicization, and inflammatory rhetoric.”

Authorities identified the shooter as 30-year-old Patrick Joseph White of Dekalb County. His father has given interviews saying his son became distraught and blamed the COVID-19 vaccines for his recent health illnesses.

Staffers at the CDC are “already demoralized,” Adams went on, accusing Kennedy of fanning their suspicions about the pharmaceutical industry.

“Leadership in moments of crisis is critical. Kennedy’s delayed and tepid response, coupled with his own record of inflammatory claims, has only deepened the wounds and amplified a dangerous sense of betrayal among America’s frontline public health workers,” Adams wrote.

He pointed to the shooting of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson by a left-wing activist to underscore that concern about America’s healthcare system is not confined to any major party.

“What ties these events together is not just the violence — but the context that enables it,” Adams wrote. “Repeated rhetoric from influential voices, including Kennedy and his supporters, has portrayed health professionals as corrupt, untrustworthy, or outright malicious. They’ve been labeled ‘grifters,’ ‘enemies of the people,’ and worse.”

After his op-ed ran in Stat News, Adams appeared on CBS’ “Face the Nation” to lay the blame on Kennedy, and by extension, Trump.

“He said no one should be harmed while working to protect the public. There’s an out there,” Adams said. “If you don’t believe that people are working to protect the public, then that means it’s OK to commit violence, at least in some people’s eyes.”

Shortly after the shooting, Kennedy wrote on social media, “We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others. We are actively supporting CDC staff on the ground and across the agency. Public health workers show up every day with purpose — even in moments of grief and uncertainty.”

“Secretary Kennedy has unequivocally condemned the horrific attack and remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of CDC employees,” Health and Human Services Communications Director Andrew Nixon said in a statement to The Hill on Monday. “He extends his deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Officer David Rose, who was tragically killed. Officer Rose’s sacrifice to protect the CDC on its darkest day will never be forgotten.

“This is a time to stand in solidarity with our public health workforce, not a moment for the media to exploit a tragedy for political gain,” Nixon added.