HHS spokesperson who accused government scientists of 'sedition' to take leave of absence

The Department of Health and Human Services' communications chief will be taking a two-month leave of absence after accusing government scientists of "sedition" in a bizarre Facebook rant.

HHS on Wednesday announced that Michael Caputo, the department's assistant secretary for public affairs, is taking a leave of absence for 60 days to "focus on his health and the well-being of his family." This comes after Caputo on Sunday peddled false conspiracy theories on Facebook Live, baselessly claiming government scientists are guilty of "sedition" and that a "resistance unit" of scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are plotting "how they're going to attack Donald Trump next," per The New York Times. He also baselessly claimed that left-wing "hit squads" are "being trained all over this country" to rise up against President Trump and that they're "going to have to kill me."

Caputo also predicted in his rant that Trump will win the 2020 election but that Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden won't concede, writing that "when Donald Trump refuses to stand down at the inauguration, the shooting will begin." He reportedly apologized to his staff on Tuesday; CNN reports that Caputo "portrayed himself as a victim in his apology, but apologized for putting HHS Secretary Alex Azar in a bad light."

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Additionally, HHS announced on Wednesday that a Caputo aide, Paul Alexander, will leave the department. Alexander, The Washington Post reports, had sought to "exert control over the messages coming from scientists and top health officials" in an attempt to "make them conform to the president's assertions that the virus is under control."