https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-pushes-covid-19-vaccine-says-he-very-proud-it-1620880
BY AILA SLISCO
Donald Trump Pushes COVID-19 Vaccine, Says He is 'Very Proud' of It
Former President Donald Trump says that he is "very proud" of the COVID-19 vaccine and would "love" to see more people get vaccinated.
Trump boasted that he had purchased "billions and billions of dollars" worth of vaccine doses in advance while serving as president and gently urged his followers to take the vaccine during a Wednesday interview on Newsmax TV's Greg Kelly Tonight.
The former president said that the vaccine had prevented the COVID-19 pandemic death toll, which currently stands at over 4.3 million worldwide, from matching the even worse toll of up to 100 million people who died during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 to 1920.
"I'm very proud of the vaccine," Trump told host Greg Kelly. "I've taken it, you've... probably taken it. But I'm very proud of it. I think we could have another situation with the Spanish Flu, 1917 [sic], where up to 100 million people were killed."
"I bought billions and billions of dollars of the vaccine and that's why we've been taking it for a long time now," added Trump. "Without that we really would have a big problem. And I do believe people have to have their freedoms and all that but, you know, I'd love to see them take the vaccine."
Trump made similar comments earlier on Wednesday during an interview on Fox Business with Maria Bartiromo. The former president said that the "problem with people not wanting to take" the vaccine, which he suggested should be called the "Trumpcine" in April, was due to the public lacking trust in President Joe Biden.
"I'm proud of the vaccine, I've taken the vaccine, I'm very, very proud of it," Trump told Bartiromo. "When I was president, you didn't have this problem with people not wanting to take it. They don't take it because they don't trust Biden and they don't trust the Biden administration."
"When I was president, you didn't have people protesting the vaccine," he added. "Everybody wanted to get it and we were giving out over a million shots a day... now it's coming back through the Delta... people that do get [the vaccine] get better much quicker, it's a very important thing to know, they don't get nearly as sick."
However, during the same interview Trump suggested that fully vaccinated people getting a vaccine booster shot—which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says will be recommended for all adults beginning on September 20—"sounds to me like a money-making operation for Pfizer."
Although vaccines commonly require booster shots, the former president went on to falsely claim that the COVID-19 vaccines developed while he was in office had originally been "good for life" and suggested that the push for booster shots could be explained by "that guy that runs Pfizer" getting "dollar signs" in his eyes.
Trump and allies have feuded with Pfizer and CEO Albert Bourla since the company announced positive vaccine trial results shortly after the former president lost to Biden in the 2020 election. During an April interview on The Carlos Watson Show, Bourla said that Trump had reminded him prior to the election that releasing the information earlier could "help" his chances.
Polls and vaccination data have shown that those who voted for Trump in 2020 are more likely to resist receiving any doses of COVID-19 vaccine than Biden voters, despite Trump boasting about the vaccine and reminding his followers that he has personally been vaccinated.
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