Trump Appoints COVID Lockdown Critic Jay Bhattacharya as NIH Director

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford professor known for opposing COVID-19 lockdowns, to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bhattacharya co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, advocating for 'Focused Protection' over widespread lockdowns, which he argued had negative health impacts. His nomination, alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the Department of Health and Human Services, reflects Trump's intent to reshape U.S. health policy. Bhattacharya's stance on lockdowns remains controversial, though some former critics have reconsidered their views.