MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough said Monday that if former president Donald Trump is going to keep keep taking credit for the vaccine rollout that has largely been happening under President Joe Biden, Trump must also tell his unvaccinated supporters to get the shot. That message was echoed across the media landscape beyond MSNBC, too.
“If the president wants to go off and say nothing, that’s fine. It’s not his responsibility anymore, but if he’s going to keep taking credit for the vaccine, if he’s going to put out about press releases about the vaccine, if he’s going to talk about his ‘beautiful’ shot, if his people are going t0 keep whining about how he’s not getting enough credit for Operation Warp Speed — which he should get credit for Operation Warp Speed — If he’s going to be engaged in that debate then, you know what, stay engaged in that debate,” said Scarborough on “Morning Joe.”
He went on, “Do what’s best for America. Do what’s best for your supporters. Do what’s best for your supporters’ families. Do what’s best for your supporters’ grandkids, grandparents, everybody. Do what’s best for reopening the schools, reopening small businesses. Tell your supporters to go out and get the vaccine. You took it!”
On CNN Monday, Admiral Brett Giroir, who served as COVID-19 testing czar under Trump, made the same appeal, saying it’s “important” not only that Trump speak out, but former vice president Mike Pence, too. Last Thursday, CNN released polling that revealed 47% of Trump supporters — and 41% of Republicans in general — said they wouldn’t get a vaccine if one were made available to them.
“We all have to get together and urge every American,” Giroir said. “The people who follow the former president are very committed to President Trump, and I think his leadership still matters a great deal.”
Last week, Trump released a statement that said, “I hope everyone remembers when they’re getting the COVID-19 (often referred to as the China Virus) Vaccine, that if I wasn’t President, you wouldn’t be getting that beautiful ‘shot’ for 5 years, at best, and probably wouldn’t be getting it at all. I hope everyone remembers!”
Trump was not part of the Ad Council’s vaccine pubic service announcement that all former living presidents — Carter, Bush, Clinton, Obama — and their wives participated in. Trump, his wife Melania, and their son Barron all contracted the coronavirus back in October.
Watch “Morning Joe” urging Trump below:
.@JoeNBC: "If [Trump] is going to keep taking credit for the vaccine,…if he's going to put out press releases about the vaccine,…if he's going to be engaged in that debate,…[he should] tell supporters to go out and get the vaccine, let them know it's safe." pic.twitter.com/x9qF63WJEw
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) March 15, 2021