Former President Donald Trump is explaining why he is being asked to do a commercial for the COVID-19 vaccine.
During an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Trump reiterated he encourages people to get the vaccine. He also slammed Pfizer and took aim at Johnson & Johnson, which had its vaccine’s use paused.
“What the FDA did with Johnson & Johnson is so stupid,” Trump said.
The former president claimed, “They all want me to do a commercial because a lot of our people don’t want to take the vaccine. I don’t know what that is exactly, Republican, I don’t know what it is.”
Hannity suggested to Trump, “You encourage people to take it.”
He replied, “I encourage them to take it. I do … I had it and I took it.”
Watch part of the interview below:
Trump says that he was "asked to do a commercial saying take the vaccine" because"a lot of our people don’t want to take the vaccine," but he isn't too keen on it because of the Johnson & Johnson pause, which he seemingly attributes to the FDA being in bed with Pfizer. pic.twitter.com/LNAKzM4GOb
— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) April 20, 2021
Trump went on, “They want me to do a commercial saying, ‘Take the vaccine,’ and they think that’s very important and I’d certainly do it.”
Claiming he called them to talk about the pause on the vaccine, Trump said it is it “the worst thing they could have done from a public relations standpoint.”
He added, “They want me to do a commercial, some commercial, and then they do this pause.”
Last month, Trump urged people, including his supporters to get the vaccine, as IJR previously reported.
“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 a Fox News interview.
He continued, “But, you know, again, we have our freedoms, and we have to live by that, and I agree with that also.”
Trump called it a “great vaccine” and a “safe vaccine.”
An ABC News analysis found estimated vaccine hesitancy is especially high in the West and the South. Despite Trump being vaccinated himself, repeated polling finds many of his followers are hesitant about the vaccine.