'You Hate Older Americans': Ted Lieu Slams Newsmax Host Who Suggested Vaccines 'Against Nature'

Democratic Representative Ted Lieu slammed Newsmax's Rob Schmitt on Sunday after the host suggested that vaccines go "against nature."

"Dear Rob @SchmittNYC, A few questions for you: -Why do you hate older Americans and don't want to protect them? -Are you vaccinated against polio? Since that vaccine under your view would go against nature. -Do you take Tylenol? Or Robitussin? Many medications are "unnatural," Lieu tweeted.

On Friday, Schmitt suggested that vaccines could be "against nature" while interviewing Peter McCullough, an associate professor in Texas A&M University's Department of Health and Kinesiology.

Schmitt made clear that he's "not an anti-vaxxer" or a "pro-vaxxer."

"I'm somebody that's looking at this thing and trying to figure it out," he said. "I've always thought about vaccines, and I always think about just nature, and the way everything works. And I feel like a vaccination in a weird way is just generally kind of going against nature."

The host then argued that diseases could be "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. Do you follow what I'm saying? Does that make sense to somebody in medicine."

Dr. Anthony Fauci made appearances on cable news earlier this month to urge further vaccinations and unity in overcoming the pandemic. His remarks came after a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll indicated a strong resistance to the coronavirus vaccine among Republican voters.

A recent survey by the Public Religion Research Institution, published on FiveThirtyEight, showed that Newsmax and One America News Network (OAN) viewers were nearly twice as likely to decline the vaccine compared to Fox News viewers. In the poll, 54 percent of Republicans who identified as Fox News viewers said they've either had the vaccine or intend to get it. Only 32 percent of Republicans who identified as Newsmax and OAN viewers said the same.

As the more virulent Delta variant continues to spread rapidly throughout the country, federal and state officials have ramped up efforts to encourage vaccinations.

At a Monday press briefing, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the World Health Organization's lead scientist, said, "There are reports coming in that vaccinated populations have cases of infection, particularly with the delta variant. The majority of these are mild or asymptomatic infections."

Newsmax told Newsweek in a statement that it "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. Medical professionals who have appeared on Newsmax have strongly encouraged Americans to get the vaccine. 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," the network said.

Update (4:30 p.m., 7/16/2021): This article has been updated to include comment from Newsmax.