Dr. James Phillips, the Walter Reed physician who criticized Donald Trump’s decision to flout Coronavirus guidelines and greet his supporters outside of Walter Reed in October, says he has no regrets after he was written off the hospital’s schedule.
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“Today, I worked my final shift at Walter Reed ER. I will miss the patients and my military and civilian coworkers – they have been overwhelmingly supportive,” Phillips tweeted. “I’m honored to have worked there and I look forward to new opportunities. I stand by my words, and I regret nothing.”
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Earlier this month it was reported that Phillips, who is also the chief of disaster medicine at George Washington University, was being removed from the hospital’s schedule about two months after he criticized Donald Trump for leaving his room at Walter Reed to drive by and wave to his supporters while receiving treatment for COVID-19.
“That Presidential SUV is not only bulletproof, but hermetically sealed against chemical attack. The risk of COVID19 transmission inside is as high as it gets outside of medical procedures. The irresponsibility is astounding. My thoughts are with the Secret Service forced to play,” Phillips tweeted.
“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,” he continued.
The tweets have since been deleted.
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Phillips was one of the many voices to criticize Trump’s political stunt.
Reached for comment on Phillips’ departure, Walter Reed told NPR that he was a contract employee.
The medical center “provides requirements for contract employees to the contract agency. The contract agency then works together with contract employees to determine individual schedules. There was no decision made by anyone at [Walter Reed National Military Medical Center] to remove Dr. Phillips from the schedule,” a representative said.
