A vaccine scientist says being tag-teamed and dogpiled on by Elon Musk, Joe Rogan, and RFK Jr. all at once has been 'overwhelming'

• A vaccine scientist says it's been "overwhelming" getting dogpiled on Twitter by its loudest voices.
• Peter Hotez said he's used to getting attacks from anti-vaccine lobbyists.
• But the attacks are now coming from Joe Rogan and Elon Musk, Twitter's most influential users.

Vaccine scientist Peter Hotez says it's been "overwhelming" getting tag-teamed on Twitter by some of the platform's most influential voices. 

"You know, the attacks from the anti-vaccine lobby do come in waves. And this time, though, it's been one of the tougher ones. Because, as you pointed out, the physical stalking and the incessant threatening emails," Hotez told MSNBC's Mehdi Hasan on Sunday night.

"And the stuff online is just total whack-a-doodle. And let's face it, when you have RFK Jr. and Joe Rogan, and Elon Musk, all tag-teaming, those tres hombres at the same time," Hotez added. "That probably includes just about every follower on Twitter. So, it's pretty overwhelming."

On Sunday, Hotez said on Twitter that some anti-vaxxers have harassed him at home. 

"Ugh I just was stalked in front of my home by a couple of antivaxers taunting me to debate RFKJr," Hotez wrote. "Of course I was looking my Sunday best in our brutal heat wave. What is it with people?"

Hotez became the target of widespread ire after he tweeted in support of a Vice article published on Friday titled: "Spotify Has Stopped Even Sort of Trying to Stem Joe Rogan's Vaccine Misinformation." That episode featured presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who discussed his conspiracy theory-fueled stance on vaccines during a three-hour episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience." 

After Hotez's supportive tweet, Rogan responded on Saturday, writing: "Peter, if you claim what RFKjr is saying is 'misinformation' I am offering you $100,000.00 to the charity of your choice if you're willing to debate him on my show with no time limit."

Billionaire investor Bill Ackman also waded into the fray and added $150,000 to the debate wager, saying that he was upping the amount in the pot so the "public can hear an open debate on an important topic."

Hotez's subsequent reluctance to debate Kennedy, however, added to the firestorm of criticism he was receiving. Hotez was accused by Twitter users — including Musk — of being afraid of debating RFK Jr. publicly.

Hotez told MSNBC's Hasan that he draws the line at duking it out with Kennedy, debate-style. 

"I offered to go on Joe Rogan but not to turn it into the Jerry Springer show with having RFK Jr. on," Hotez said.

Tweeting on Sunday night, Hotez elaborated on why he didn't intend to wade into a debate with Kennedy.

"First, science is not something that is typically debated like say 18th enlightenment philosophy or political issues," Hotez added.

"I'm not even certain I know how to 'debate' in this case. And then there is the particular problem of debating RFK Jr on this. I have spoken to him over the years and I'm willing to speak to him again, but it's not easy, he tends to move the goalposts on his specific concerns about vaccines," Hotez wrote. 

Hotez added that he would still be willing to speak to Rogan about vaccines, and would also be open to doing "something with Elon on Twitter." 

Representatives for Hotez did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.