The New York Times reported on Monday that both Donald and Melania Trump received the COVID-19 vaccine but kept it a secret from the public.
Maggie Haberman at The New York Times reported that the former President and First Lady apparently got the jab way back in January when they were still residents at The White House.
Going public with the news could have squashed the doubts of Republicans that the vaccine was unsafe, so why didn’t Trump do exactly that?
Trump only encouraged people to get the vaccine for the first time two days ago at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). The casual remark was shorter than the trainwreck of a national anthem performed at the Conference and was too little too late.
“Everyone should go get your shot,” Trump said in his speech. In the lead up to the end of his presidency, Trump only wore a mask on rare occasions and rarely listened to medical advice, even when he contracted the coronavirus last October.
Trump yesterday, at CPAC, said for the first time that “everyone” should get the coronavirus vaccine developed while he was in office. An adviser tells me both Trump and Melania Trump got vaccinated at the White House in January.
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) March 1, 2021
On Monday, Axios published a poll which found that 56 per cent of white Republicans are still unsure about whether or not they will get the vaccine. It’s frustrating to think that a public show of support for the vaccine from Trump could have potentially swayed these numbers.
Trump got the vaccine but didn’t want you to know. He didn’t want you to believe it was safe.
His persona is more important to him than your life.
It’s all an act.
— Erin Brockovich (@ErinBrockovich) March 1, 2021
As pointed out by Ryan Bort for Rolling Stone, Trump’s “flippant attitude toward the virus undoubtedly inspired millions of Americans to disregard the safety of themselves and others, leading to untold cases, untold hospitalizations, and untold deaths that could have been prevented.”
With many Trump supporters promoting anti-vax views, perhaps Trump kept his vaccine on the down-low so as not to lose their loyalty or create the illusion that he was supporting “liberal ideologies.”
It’s hypocritical, to say the least.
