Former President Donald Trump is urging Americans, including his supporters, to get the COVID-19 vaccine, even if they do not want to get it.
“I would recommend it, and I would recommend it to a lot of people that don’t want to get it, and a lot of those people voted for me, frankly,” Trump said during Tuesday night’s phone call interview on Fox News.
He continued, “But, you know, again, we have our freedoms, and we have to live by that, and I agree with that also.”
Trump also said, “It’s a great vaccine and it’s a safe vaccine.”
Watch the video below:
Trump encourages his supporters to get the coronavirus vaccine but then says, "we have our freedoms, and we have to live by that. And I agree with that also." pic.twitter.com/2GVXwMokCE
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 16, 2021
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked during Monday’s press briefings if the Biden administration wants to see Trump get involved with messaging on the coronavirus vaccine.
“Well, if former President Trump woke up tomorrow and wanted to be more vocal about the safety and efficacy of the campaign — of the vaccine, certainly we’d support that,” she said. “But also, I think what’s important to note is that, as I noted, 81 percent of Republicans said they would trust their own doctor or healthcare provider, and that’s an important place to invest.”
Psaki continued, “Every other living former President — or most of them, if not all of them — has participated in public campaigns. They did not need an engraved invitation to do so. So he may decide he should do that. If so, great.”
Donald Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump received the COVID-19 vaccine in January while still at the White House — though it was not reported on until March. In October 2020, the two tested positive for COVID-19.
Dr. Anthony Fauci declared during a CNN interview in early March that it was “a lost opportunity” for Donald Trump to have received the vaccine without the public knowing. Fauci added, “Because he could have gotten a lot of people who are hesitant about getting vaccinated, vaccinated.”
Over 142 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been distributed in the U.S. and more than 110 million doses have been administered, as of Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.