Trump coronavirus adviser Scott Atlas resigns

Dr. Scott Atlas, a highly controversial special adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, has resigned, a White House official said on Monday.

Atlas frequently clashed with the other members of the White House coronavirus task force over his four-month tenure.

Fox News was first to report Atlas' resignation, which comes just as his 130-day stint as a special government employee was set to expire this week.

Atlas, a neuroradiologist, has been sharply criticized by public health experts, including top U.S. infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, for providing Trump with misleading or incorrect information on the pandemic.

He has repeatedly downplayed the importance of face masks and said recently that lockdowns had been an "epic failure" in stopping the spread of the virus.

He also apologized on Twitter in early November for giving an interview to Russia's state-backed television station RT, saying he was unaware it was a registered foreign agent in the United States.

Atlas tweeted out his resignation letter on Sunday, and wrote that he was "honored to have served" President Trump, "and the American people during these difficult times."