Vaccine Scientist Overwhelmed: Responding to Criticism from Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and RFK Jr. on Twitter
- A vaccine scientist admits to feeling overwhelmed by the barrage of criticism from prominent individuals on Twitter.
- Peter Hotez states that he is accustomed to facing attacks from anti-vaccine activists.
- However, this time the attacks are coming from Twitter’s most influential users: Joe Rogan and Elon Musk.
Peter Hotez, a vaccine scientist, confesses that he has been overwhelmed by the joint criticism he has received from some of Twitter’s most influential voices. In an interview with MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan on Sunday night, Hotez described the intensity of the attacks. He said, “You know, the attacks from the anti-vaccine lobby tend to come in waves.
However, this time, it has been exceptionally challenging. The physical stalking, relentless threatening emails, and the absurdity of the online content have reached new heights. Moreover, when you have RFK Jr., Joe Rogan, and Elon Musk tag-teaming, it feels like every Twitter user is against you. It’s truly overwhelming.”
On Sunday, Hotez revealed on Twitter that he had been harassed by some anti-vaxxers outside his home. He wrote, “Ugh! I was just stalked in front of my home by a couple of antivaxxers, taunting me to debate RFK Jr. Of course, it had to happen during this scorching heat wave. What is wrong with people?”
Hotez became the target of widespread criticism after expressing support for a Vice article titled “Spotify Has Stopped Even Sort of Trying to Stem Joe Rogan’s Vaccine Misinformation,” which featured a three-hour episode of “The Joe Rogan Experience” with presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., discussing his conspiracy theory-driven stance on vaccines.
Following Hotez’s tweet of support, Rogan responded with a challenge. He offered Hotez $100,000 to the charity of his choice if he was willing to debate RFK Jr. on his show, without any time restrictions. Billionaire investor Bill Ackman also joined in by adding $150,000 to the wager, emphasizing the importance of an open debate on such a crucial topic.
However, Hotez’s reluctance to engage in a debate with Kennedy only fueled the ongoing criticism. Twitter users, including Elon Musk, accused Hotez of being afraid to publicly debate RFK Jr. In response, Hotez clarified during his interview with MSNBC’s Hasan that he had no intention of engaging in a confrontational debate with Kennedy.
He stated, “I offered to appear on Joe Rogan’s show, but I don’t want it to turn into a Jerry Springer-style spectacle with RFK Jr.”
In a tweet on Sunday night, Hotez further explained why he chose not to engage in a debate with Kennedy. He added, “Firstly, science is not typically debated in the same manner as 18th-century enlightenment philosophy or political issues. I’m not even sure how one would ‘debate’ in this context. Additionally, there’s a particular challenge when debating RFK Jr.
I have spoken to him in the past, and I’m willing to speak to him again, but it’s not easy. He tends to shift the focus of his concerns about vaccines.” Hotez emphasized that he would still be willing to discuss vaccines with Joe Rogan and was open to engaging with Elon Musk on Twitter.