Trump faces backlash over claims doctors get ‘cash for Covid’

Donald Trump under fire after attack on doctors over coronavirus

Credit: Chris Kleponis/Sipa

Donald Trump was facing a furious backlash after accusing doctors of trying to cash in on the coronavirus pandemic by inflating the number of Covid-19 deaths.

Under pressure with cases soaring across the country, the US president unleashed an astonishing attack on the medical profession at a campaign event in Michigan on Friday.

“You know our doctors get more money if somebody dies from Covid, adding that in other countries deaths were classified differently if there appeared to be multiple causes. 

“With us, when in doubt, choose Covid,” he said.

It was the second time in just over a week that he had accused physicians and hospitals of lining their pockets by overreporting Covid-19 deaths.

The row erupted as Dr Fauci, America’s leading infectious disease expert, raised fresh doubts about the administration’s handling of the crisis.

“You could not possibly be positioned more poorly," he told the Washington Post. “We’re in for a whole lot of hurt."

Doctors and health workers are seen as the heroes of the crisis and Joe Biden was swift to exploit what could be a major tactical error at a time when the US is breaking new records on coronavirus infections withe the number of cases already over nine million and deaths having burst through the 230,000 barrier.

“Doctors and nurses go to work every day to save lives. They do their jobs. Donald Trump should stop attacking them and do his job,"  Mr Biden said.

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The American Medical Association described Mr Trump’s remarks as "malicious, outrageous, and completely misguided.

Trump senior campaign aide, Jason Miller,  tried to undo some of the damage when he appeared on the ABC News talk show, This Week on Sunday.

"I don’t think he was attacking anybody at all,” he said. “I think he was talking about how most Americans want to safely and securely re-open the country. Get back to work, get back to life as normal."

Biden campaign adviser Anita Dunn was swift to seize on the issue when she appeared same programme.

"Frontline workers and doctors, nurses, the people who work in these hospitals, have been risking their lives."

The administration faced further embarrassment when Scott Atlas, a neuroradiologist newly appointed to the White House coronavirus task force was forced to apologise for giving an interview to the Kremlin-backed RT (formerly Russia Today) in which he attacked lockdown measures introduced to bring Covid-19 under control.

"I recently did an interview with RT and was unaware they are a registered foreign agent," Dr Atlas wrote on Twitter.

"I regret doing the interview and apologize for allowing myself to be taken advantage of. I especially apologize to the national security community who is working hard to defend us."