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Aaron Rodgers and Dr. Peter Hotez are going a second round.
Dr. Hotez, a staunch COVID-19 vaccine advocate, heavily criticized Joe Rogan for having anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on his popular podcast, and has subsequently rebuffed challenges to participate in a public debate with the presidential candidate.
Rodgers — also notably a skeptic of the COVID-19 vaccines — has previously made it known he’s supporting RFK Jr.’s candidacy for president, and on his Instagram Story on Tuesday Rodgers took a shot at Dr. Hotez.
Overlaid above a reel in which Dr. Hotez had previously appeared on Rogan’s podcast and admitted to not being “as cautious with my diet as I should be,” Rodgers wrote “@robertfkennedyjr would mop this bum.”
Dr. Hotez responded to a Sports Illustrated article that captured the Rodgers Instagram story, which has since expired.
“Disappointed he took a cheap shot vs me this wk,” Dr. Hotez tweeted. “In 2021 during our awful delta wave we were losing 2,000 Americans/day, >80% among unvaccinated, when vaccines were 90% protective vs death/serious illness, I criticized him for his public antivaccine stance.”
Dr. Hotez also wrote followup tweets.
“This is so unnecessary, I have no bad thoughts for Aaron, I needed to speak out in 2021 to try and save lives. 200,000 unvaccinated Americans needlessly perished during those delta BA.1 waves in last half of 2021 early 2022. I detail this in my new book,” the doctor continued.
“I see the @HoustonTexans play the @nyjets this year?”
The Jets host the Texans on Dec. 10, and if Dr. Hotez believes revenge will be exacted he could make a fortune on the betting market, as the Texans are 8.5-point underdogs and are +310 on the moneyline.
Dr. Hotez previously went after Rodgers in an appearance on CNN in 2021, when Rodgers was under fire in the media for the revelation that he was unvaccinated, as he had previously told reporters that he was “immunized” against COVID-19.
In the segment, Dr. Hotez said Rodgers was “anti-vaccine” and that the quarterback is “not critical thinking – he’s gone down a rabbit hole with people like Joe Rogan who talks about Ivermectin and other kinds of false, fake cures, and that’s exactly the point … he is touting far-right extremist views.”
After Dr. Hotez slammed Rogan for having RFK Jr. on his podcast, Rogan offered $100,000 to a charity of Dr. Hotez’s choice to debate the presidential candidate.
“Be serious Joe, that’s what you throw for your hunting buddies on a weekend,” Dr. Hotez responded. “A $50 million endowment (which You/Spotify/ RFK Jr can easily afford), not for me but so we can continue making low-cost patent-free vaccines for the world’s poor. Preceded by RFK Jr’s public apology.”
The total pledged by others has gone over $2 million, but so far it does not appear as though a public debate will happen.
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