Former President Donald Trump said in an interview Tuesday that he would recommend that everyone get Covid-19 vaccine shots — a significant discourse shift as Republicans express skepticism about getting them.
“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 on Fox News, praising what he called “a great vaccine.”
“But you know, again, we have our freedoms, and we have to live by that, and I agree with that also,” he added.
Recent polls suggest that the largest group of Americans either hesitant about the Covid-19 vaccines or outright opposed to them are Republicans, and efforts to reach them are only in their infancy. A recent NPR/PBS/Marist poll found that 47 percent of Trump voters and 41 percent of Republicans said they will not get the vaccines when they are made available.
Trump’s remarks came after it was revealed this month that he and former first lady Melania Trump were quietly vaccinated at the White House in January. It is not clear which vaccine they received, as it was not disclosed at the time by the Trump White House. The official White House photographer also was not present to document the event.
Trump, whose administration was criticized for its vaccine rollout plan, boasted during a speech in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference that he pushed officials to get the vaccines developed under Operation Warp Speed. He also urged attendees to get vaccinated, even though he did not disclose that he had been.
Four of Trump’s predecessors, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, have received their shots in public, along with each of their wives.
Dartunorro Clark
Dartunorro Clark is a political reporter for NBC News.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi NoemKristi Lynn NoemGolden statue of Trump at CPAC ridiculed online Five things to watch at CPAC Haley isolated after Trump fallout MORE (R) in her address at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday touted her state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, while criticizing other state leaders for resorting to restrictive measures to combat the virus.
Noem, an ally of former President TrumpDonald TrumpBiden to hold virtual bilateral meeting with Mexican president More than 300 charged in connection to Capitol riot Trump Jr.: There are ‘plenty’ of GOP incumbents who should be challenged MORE, began her address in Orlando, Fla., Saturday stating that America needs conservatives for one reason — the year 2020.
“The question of why America needs conservatives can be answered by just mentioning one single year, and that year is 2020,” she said. “Everybody knows that almost overnight we went from a roaring economy to a tragic, nationwide shutdown,” she continued, before attributing a record low unemployment rate at the beginning of 2020 to Trump.
The South Dakota governor went on to say that once the pandemic hit, many states chose to implement widespread shutdowns, which Noem said resulted in significant job losses, school closures and an economic downturn.
“Now let me be clear: COVID didn’t crush the economy, government crushed the economy,” she said.
Noem added that South Dakota was the only state that never ordered “a single business or church to close,” and also did not issue a shelter-in-place order or a mask mandate, prompting applause and a standing ovation from many in the crowd.
Noem also took aim at Anthony FauciAnthony FauciOne dose of Pfizer vaccine offers significant protection for those who have had COVID-19: studies Fauci: Whatever COVID-19 vaccine is available, ‘take it’ Julia Roberts presents Award of Courage to Fauci: ‘You have been a beacon for us’ MORE, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, claiming that President BidenJoe BidenHouse Democrats pass sweeping .9T COVID-19 relief bill with minimum wage hike Biden to hold virtual bilateral meeting with Mexican president More than 300 charged in connection to Capitol riot MORE’s chief medical adviser is “wrong a lot,” a comment that also received a standing ovation from conference attendees.
“We never focused on the case numbers,” Noem explained. “Instead, we kept our eye on hospital capacity. Now Dr. FauciAnthony FauciOne dose of Pfizer vaccine offers significant protection for those who have had COVID-19: studies Fauci: Whatever COVID-19 vaccine is available, ‘take it’ Julia Roberts presents Award of Courage to Fauci: ‘You have been a beacon for us’ MORE, he told me that on my worst day I’d have 10,000 patients in the hospital. On our worst day, we had a little over 600.”
Despite Noem’s defense of her particular approach to the pandemic, South Dakota saw some of the highest coronavirus cases and deaths per capita of any state in the U.S. this fall, despite having a relatively small population of approximately 884,000.
In August, the state played host to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, where close to half a million people gathered in a South Dakota county. The event was later connected to some outbreaks in the Dakotas and the surrounding states.
The state has since recovered from the surge in the fall.
According to The New York Times coronavirus database, the state has seen a total of more than 112,000 coronavirus infections and 1,886 deaths as a result of the virus.
Noem has not explicitly said if she is eyeing a 2024 bid for the White House, but her remarks at CPAC may provide a sneak peak of potential talking points in a bid for the GOP presidential nomination.
Presidential hopefuls often speak at the gathering, providing an opportunity for them to attract widespread recognition and support from the Republican party faithful.
A recent Politico/Morning Consult poll put Noem at 1 percent among a crowded race of potential 2024 contenders, with a majority saying they would back Trump himself if he should run again.
A source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Hill this week that there will be a fundraiser for Noem’s 2022 gubernatorial campaign at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club next month hosted by Donald Trump Jr. and his girlfriend Kimberly GuilfoyleKimberly GuilfoyleHaley isolated after Trump fallout Noem to get fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago hosted by Donald Trump Jr. Republicans wrestle over removing Trump MORE.
Noem has vocally indicated her closeness with the former president, including late last month when she said she gave Trump a $1,100 bust depicting the former president on Mount Rushmore in July of last year during his controversial Independence Day visit amid the pandemic.
Trump during his visit delivered an address in front of thousands of people, many of whom were not masked or socially distanced.
