Donald Trump gave the rest of his AIDS Advisory Council a last-minute gift right before 2018 begins: the pink slip.
According to Newsweek, he has fired the 16 remaining members on the council. This comes six months after a half dozen members quit in protest.
To add insult to injury on this one, they were notified about being fired via letters sent from FedEx. The White House has not given any explanation on why the remaining members were fired. Several of the AIDS Advisory Council were Obama appointees and still had time left on their terms.
Scott A. Schoettes, a Chicago-based HIV/AIDS activist who was one of the advisory members who quit six months ago, had quite a lot to say about this on social media, saying that Trump is "executing a purge" and called Trump and VP Mike Pence "dangerous."
This is the 2nd piece of AIDS related news directly related to Trump over the past week. He reportedly said in a meeting back in June that all Haitians who entered the United States in the preceding months "all have AIDS" and that the 40,000 Nigerian visitors would never "go back to their huts" in Africa.
The Blade reports that replacements for the advisory council may come in the new year. They are reportedly seeking out gay Republicans, as they have been among those contacted by administration officials for possible appointments.