The former top vaccination official in Tennessee was sent a dog muzzle in the mail several days before she was fired, which she believes was a move made to appease right-wing lawmakers.
Dr Michelle Fiscus's husband, Brad told The Tennessean that she believed the muzzle was a message warning her to keep quiet about her coronavirus concerns.
"Someone wanted to send a message to tell her to stop talking," he said. "They thought it would be a threat to her."