Biden appoints 'Founding Father of Lockdowns’ as new COVID commissar
Earlier this week, Frontline News reached out to individuals who had advocated for lockdowns during the pandemic. We provided them with scientific evidence showing that the lockdowns have caused untold devastation to society, particularly children, and had no impact on public health.
The individuals either did not respond or could not provide justifications for their lockdown advocacy.
Yesterday, Frontline News reached out to the man who started it all.
Dr. Ashish Jha, MD, MPH is the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. He is also Biden’s newly appointed COVID commissar.
Jha is credited as being the “Founding Father of Lockdowns”, having received widespread media attention in March 2020 for calling for a “national quarantine".
“On @BBCNews trying to explain the American COVID19 strategy,” tweeted Jha in March 2020. “The UK is in a lockdown. The US needs one too. I support reopening the economy when we are ready. I'm worried that if we open when we aren't ready, we will harm public health and fail to get the economy back on track.”
Jha is also credited as being partially responsible for the now-infamous “two weeks to flatten the curve” strategy.
In April 2020, Jha said that the U.S. didn’t lock down fast enough.
The mainstream media anointed Jha as the COVID “expert”, despite not being a virologist, vaccinologist or immunologist, and showered him with attention.
“He has been one of the most publicly visible public health experts in America, appearing on networks and shows from Newsmax to MSNBC to Sesame Street,” reports the Daily Caller. “In the first 14 months of the pandemic, despite not being a virologist, immunologist or vaccinologist, Jha either appeared or was cited on television news more than 60,000 times, according to TVEyes. He was making 10-12 TV appearances per day at his peak. He claims to have, at one point, been receiving more than 100 media requests per day.”
Jha also pushed for masking children, even urging Democratic governors who began to lift mask mandates to keep kids masked, despite them being the lowest-risk age group.
“I’ve been a strong proponent of masking in schools,” Jha tweeted in February. “...Should we ban masks in school today? No.”
But despite his love for lockdowns, Jha maintained that the Black Lives Matter protests and gatherings in 2020 were justified, because racism carries with it “a serious risk and grave public health cost".
Needless to say, Jha has also been a staunch advocate of vaccine mandates, particularly on airplanes.
And as late as January 31st, Jha was still pushing for capacity limits indoors.
Frontline News contacted Jha yesterday asking for his response to a study from Johns Hopkins University which showed that not only did lockdowns have no effect on morbidity or mortality rates, but they also “imposed enormous economic and social costs”.
Frontline News also asked Jha for his response to a recent study by Israeli Clalit Health Services which found that lockdowns had a catastrophic psychiatric impact.
Frontline News also asked Jha for his response to a report reported in Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz warning of a “psychiatric pandemic” due to the disastrous psychiatric impact lockdowns had on adolescents and children.
Frontline News asked Jha various questions, including:
- Can you please provide a copy of the data that originally led you to believe that lockdowns would help mortality rates?
- Did you at any point consider the psychological impacts of lockdowns when you advocated for them?
- If you had known about the psychological impact, would you still have advocated for lockdowns?
- Would your awareness of the other health impacts (e.g. increase in obesity, smoking) have changed your position?
Jha did not respond with a comment.
“I am excited to name Dr. Ashish Jha as the new White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator,” said Biden. “Dr. Jha is one of the leading public health experts in America, and a well known figure to many Americans from his wise and calming public presence.”
It appears, however, that many Americans do not agree.
“Surprising choice of @ashishkjha as @JoeBiden's new Covid coordinator,” wrote epidemiologist Martin Kulldorf. “Not only was he wrong promoting lockdowns, school closures and vaccine passports, he mischaracterized and bullied other scientists by calling them ‘clowns’. A clown would do a better job as Covid coordinator.”
“Let’s find someone who’s treated no patients and has no covid scientific expertise and who’s willing to stand in front of the Senate and speak dogmatically, with no data,” tweeted renowned doctor Dr. Richard Urso. “Here’s our new dog and pony show.”
“Terrible news for people who don’t want rolling mandates and lockdowns,” wrote another netizen.
“The Biden administration just appointed Ashish Jha as Covid Czar,” said Eli Klein. “Jha was a main advocate of our epically failed lockdowns & has made his desire to bring restrictions back during Covid waves clear. Jha is also known for losing Covid-related debates to art dealers on Twitter.”
