Washington (AP) – President Donald Trump Welcome as a “medical miracle” COVID-19 Pandemic 2020.
Now his health chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr.effective Stop Advances in vaccine technology. Kennedy announced Tuesday that the federal government has cancelled $500 million worth of cancellations mRNA The research and development agreement ends the hopes of US support for vaccine technology to prevent future pandemics, treat cancer, and prevent influenza infection.
This is a sharp pivot from how Trump and top officials described technology during his first term.
Let’s take a look at what Trump and some of his closest advisors said about the mRNA vaccine five years ago, which was believed to have slowed the pandemic.
Robert Redfield, director of Trump’s Centers for Disease Control
“The Covid-19 vaccine brings Americans back to normal everyday life,” Redfield said in a September 16, 2020 statement.
Americans were still wearing facial masks as one of the few ways to protect themselves from the virus that killed nearly 200,000 people in just six months. Redfield has promised that the new vaccine, first developed using mRNA technology, will provide a return to normal.
Trump wanted to prevent Biden from gaining credibility
“Don’t let Joe Biden trust the vaccine… I pushed them harder than they’ve ever been pushed… Some people say that the vaccine is one of the biggest. It’s a medical miracle,” Trump said on November 26, 2020. I said at a press conference At the White House.
A few weeks ago, Trump lost the election in a fierce competition with the Democrats. Joe Biden. As Republicans continued to work on leaving Washington and planned to roll out the Covid-19 vaccine, he reminded reporters that he oversaw the development of a new shot.
“They say it’s a bit miracle, and I think it’s true,” Trump said on December 8, 2020. meanwhile Speech in Eisenhower’s Executive Office Building.
The event celebrated Operation Warp Speed, a government-funded project that accelerated vaccine development with pharmaceutical companies. Trump was promoting shots as the government prepares to provide frontline healthcare workers.
Alex Hazard, Trump’s first term health secretary
“It’s clear that many Americans are learning that these vaccines are safe and very effective,” Azar said on December 16, 2020. At a press conference.
The government was preparing to ship mRNA vaccines to the states and distribute them to the masses. Azar said the majority of Americans aimed to get a new Covid-19 vaccine that will be available to the public in the coming months, between 70% and 80%, according to the poll.
General Gasvere Perna, Trump’s chief operating officer in pandemic response
“It takes five to ten years to put a vaccine on the street. Look at what we did. Now, that’s because of the great work of scientists who have done research on MRNA vaccines and more.
Looking back at his interview about his time overseeing “Operation Warp Speed,” Perna recognized the government’s ability to build arms just months after mRNA technology began advocating for life in the US in 2020.
Trump supporters boo his vaccine achievements
“We’ve saved tens of millions of lives, so we’re going to take credit. We’re going to take them. Don’t let them take away from you,” Trump said in a live interview with former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly on December 19, 2021.
Daily Covid-19 deaths have fallen to 1,500 compared to 3,000 a year ago after Americans began receiving the first dose of mRNA vaccine.
Trump revealed to O’Reilly and the audience that he just got the COVID-19 booster.
The crowd booed.
