Dr. Anthony Fauci told anchor Chris Wallace on “Fox News Sunday” that it would be a “game-changer” for President Trump to encourage his supporters to get the coronavirus vaccine. “I think it would make all the difference in the world. He’s a very wildly popular person among Republicans,” Fauci said.
“If he came out and said, ‘Go and get vaccinated, it’s really important for your health, the health of your family, and the health of the country,’ it seems absolutely inevitable that the vast majority of people who are his close followers would listen to him,” Dr. Fauci insisted.
“It seems like an intrinsic contradiction that you had a program that was started during this presidency and he’s not out telling people to get vaccinated, but I wish he would,” Dr. Fauci said. “He has such incredible influence over the people in the Republican Party, it would really be a game-changer if he did.”
A poll released last week showed that 47 percent of Republicans don’t plan to get the vaccine — with that number rising to 49 percent among GOP men.
A reporter asked Joe Biden on Monday, “Should President Trump help promote the vaccine among skeptics, sir, especially those Republicans who say they’re not willing to take it?”
“I’m hearing a lot of reports from serious reporters like you who are saying that,” Biden responded. Continued Below
“I discussed it with my team. And they say the thing that has more impact than anything Trump would say to the MAGA folks, is what the local doctor, what the local preachers, the local people in the communities say,” Biden said.
He added: “So I urge, I urge all local docs, and ministers, priests to talk about why– why it’s important to get that vaccine and even after that, until everyone is, in fact, vaccinated, to wear this mask.”
President Trump, last week in a statement via email, reminded Americans that the coronavirus vaccines are available because of his administration. Video Below
Dr. Anthony Fauci’s remarks in part:
Fauci on Fox News Sunday says he thinks it'd be "very helpful" if Trump encouraged his followers to get vaccinated, then adds, "I'm very surprised at the high percentage of Republicans who say they don't want to get vaccinated. I don't understand where that's coming from." pic.twitter.com/6vNyMNJ03d
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 14, 2021
Joe Biden’s exchange with a reporter:
REPORTER: Should Trump should help promote the vaccine to his supporters?
BIDEN: My team says "the thing that has more impact than anything Trump would say to the MAGA folks is what the local doctor, what the local preacher, what the local people in the community say…" pic.twitter.com/crVYIGsrbp
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 15, 2021
Former President Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump were vaccinated at the White House in January, which was not publicly known until March.
President Donald Trump’s statement reminding Americans that the coronavirus vaccines are available because of his administration:
