Simone Gold

Simone Melissa Gold (née Tizes) is an American doctor known for her opposition to the COVID-19 vaccines. She is the founder of America's Frontline Doctors, a right-wing political organization known for spreading misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic. Before her arrest and guilty plea for participating in the 2021 United States Capitol attack, she had gained attention when a video of an America's Frontline Doctors press conference in front of the US Supreme Court Building went viral in July 2020. During the press conference, she touted the supposed benefits of hydroxychloroquine, despite evidence that it is ineffective as a COVID-19 treatment and can carry significant risks. On January 5, 2021, Gold spoke at a rally in Washington, D.C., telling attendees to refuse to be vaccinated for COVID-19; the next day she took part in the Capitol attack. She spoke from the rotunda of the Capitol and was later arrested for her participation in the storming, having admitted she entered the building. She eventually pleaded guilty to a federal misdemeanor and was sentenced to 60 days in prison and a $9,500 fine. On January 20, 2025, the first day of the second presidency of Donald Trump, Gold was pardoned along with nearly every other participant in the Capitol riot.