Michael Caputo, the assistant secretary of public affairs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), claims that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a “resistance unit” that is working to undermine President Donald Trump.
In a Facebook Live video on Sunday, Caputo — who is the top communication official at HHS — claimed without evidence that government scientists at the CDC are plotting against the president and engaging in “sedition,” according to The New York Times.
“There are scientists who work for this government who do not want America to get well, not until after Joe Biden is president,” Caputo said.
He continued to claim that they “haven’t gotten out of their sweatpants except for meetings at coffee shops,” where they discuss “how they’re going to attack Donald Trump next.”
He also said they “walk around like they are monks,” but really, they practice “rotten science.”
Trump has also suggested that scientists at the CDC are intentionally delaying the development of a coronavirus vaccine to hurt him politically.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1297138862108663808
Additionally, Caputo claimed that there are “hit squads being trained all over this country.” He also said the shooting that led to the death of a Trump supporter in Portland was “a drill.”
He continued, “You understand that they’re going to have to kill me, and unfortunately, I think that’s where this is going.”
And he told viewers of the video, “If you carry guns, buy ammunition, ladies and gentlemen, because it’s going to be hard to get.”
In a statement to the Times, HHS said, “Mr. Caputo is a critical, integral part of the president’s coronavirus response, leading on public messaging as Americans need public health information to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic.”
Caputo also gave a statement to the paper on Monday, “Since joining the administration, my family and I have been continually threatened.”
“This weighs heavily on us, and we deeply appreciate the friendship and support of President Trump as we address these matters and keep our children safe,” he added.
Caputo has a history of making controversial and conspiratorial statements on social media, as IJR reported.
He has previously claimed that Democrats were rooting for the coronavirus to hurt Trump politically, “For the Democrat 2020 victory strategy to work, 100,000+ Americans have to die.”
