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Who is Dr Ezekiel Emanuel? Obama health advisor who wants to 'die by 75' quits MSNBC to join Biden's COVID taskforce

The 63-year-old was also in the news recently for an article he had written for in 2014, titled 'Why I Hope to Die at 75'

Health expert Dr Ezekiel Emanuel will no longer be associated with MSNBC after joining President-elect Joe Biden's new transition team, according to reports. MSNBC legal expert Barbara McQuade, MSNBC political analyst Richard Stengel and CNN commentator Jen Psaki are also leaving their paid on-air roles after being selected to join Biden's team, sources told the Daily Mail on Wednesday, November 11.

Reports said Dr Emanuel has been appointed to Biden's Coronavirus Task Force. According to MSNBC's policy, all three experts will no longer be paid for their on-air appearances but will be welcomed back as guests. Dr Emanuel is chair of the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. As quoted by CBS Philly, “It is a great honor to serve for the President and Vice President-elect to address this pandemic and get the country moving again,” Emanuel said of the appointment.

In a statement, Biden said, “Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most important battles our administration will face, and I will be informed by science and by experts.” He added: “The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections; ensuring vaccines are safe, effective, and distributed efficiently, equitably, and free; and protecting at-risk populations.”

Who is Dr Ezekiel Emanuel?

According to Philly Voice, this isn’t the first time Dr Emanuel is involved in advising the White House. During the Barack Obama administration, he served as a special adviser for health policy to the director of the Office of Management and Budget from January 2009 to January 2011.

He has served as chair of the Department of Bioethics at The Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Previously, he was a professor at Harvard Medical School and has written various books on health care topics, including ethics. He is the brother of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who has served as Obama's chief of staff.  

The 63-year-old was also in the news recently for an article he had written for The Atlantic in 2014. The article’s headline was ‘Why I Hope to Die at 75’. The first sentence of the article reads, “That’s how long I want to live: 75 years.” He writes, “But here is a simple truth that many of us seem to resist: living too long is also a loss. It renders many of us, if not disabled, then faltering and declining, a state that may not be worse than death but is nonetheless deprived. It robs us of our creativity and ability to contribute to work, society, the world.”

At one point in the article, he says, “Certainly if there were to be a flu pandemic, a younger person who has yet to live a complete life ought to get the vaccine or any antiviral drugs.” But the doctor specified that he opposed legalizing euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide but rather, as he says, “I am talking about how long I want to live and the kind and amount of health care I will consent to after 75.”

After the article resurfaced, it was discussed by some. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany tweeted, “Dying at 75 will not be a tragedy.”@JoeBiden’s COVID task force pick, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, on why life is not worth preserving after 75.” Republican Senator Tom Cotton said: “A member of Biden’s new coronavirus task force is a lockdown enthusiast who has written that living past 75 isn’t worth it. Americans want our country opened up, not creepy bioethicists who enjoy playing God.” Political commentator Liz Wheeler wrote: “So Biden picks Zeke Emanuel for his Covid task force. Emanuel wants to die at 75. Argues that old age shouldn't be prolonged. Says old people don't contribute to society. Says he'll refuse healthcare, even flu shot. But now he'll "protect" our nation's elderly from Covid?!”

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