Conservative network Newsmax distanced itself from a pro-pandemic statement made by Rob Schmitt, one of the channel’s prime time hosts, who stated that deadly viruses shouldn’t be stopped because they’re the way the planet culls the population.
“Newsmax as a network strongly supports President Biden’s efforts to widely distribute the COVID vaccine. It is important for the safety of all and especially those at high risk, such as the elderly,” a spokesperson told The Washington Post on Tuesday.
In an interview with Texas A&M School of Medicine professor Peter A. McCullough, Schmitt said, “I feel like a vaccination in a weird way is just generally kind of going against nature. Like, I mean, if there is some disease out there — maybe there’s just an ebb and flow to life where something’s supposed to wipe out a certain amount of people, and that’s just kind of the way evolution goes. Vaccines kind of stand in the way of that.”
“Medical professionals who have appeared on Newsmax have strongly encouraged Americans to get the vaccine,” the spokesperson said, careful not to refer to Schmitt by name. “From time to time, a guest or host may not be as supportive of these efforts. However, they do not reflect the position of Newsmax.”
A former host of Fox News’ early morning show, Schmitt has claimed that he’s a “vaccine agnostic,” neither pro- or anti-vaccine opinions.