Trump appoints lockdown sceptic to head National Institutes of Health --Jay Bhattacharya has criticised Anthony Fauci and claimed universities manufactured an 'illusion' of consensus during pandemic | 27 Nov 2024 | Donald Trump has appointed Jay Bhattacharya, a prominent lockdown sceptic, to lead the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Bhattacharya, who argued that blanket lockdown restrictions during the Covid pandemic caused "unnecessary suffering and death," will take charge of the federal research agency, if confirmed by the Senate. In a statement, Mr. Trump noted the Stanford University professor's opposition to lockdowns and said he would work alongside his new health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, to "improve health and save lives." "Together, Jay and RFK Jr. will restore the NIH to a gold standard of medical research as they examine the underlying causes of, and solutions to, America's biggest health challenges, including our crisis of chronic illness and disease," he said late on Tuesday.