Trump Kind Of Told His Supporters To Get Vaccinated, But Said He Also Believes In Their ‘Freedoms’

The last week has seen a major shift in Republicans’ battle with the COVID-19 pandemic: Some of them are actually recommending their supporters get one of the three life-saving vaccines. Even Sean Hannity advised they get it…before mostly recanting. It’s an awkward threading of the needle: They know vaccines are unpopular among the base, but if they don’t get vaccinated they could die. Even Donald Trump, who has claimed responsibility for the vaccines’ existence, couldn’t help but fumble around as he tried to sing its praises.

On Saturday night, Trump held a rally in Phoenix, Arizona — one of the states he’s claimed, without evidence, had massive voter fraud. His was an even longer speech than usual — some two hours in length, mostly yet another Greatest Hits package. But there was one thing he said that could have made the world a better, not worse, place — had he not immediately undercut it.

It began as another of the Trump’s whiny grievances, which his supporters evidently never tire of hearing. He was complaining about how he, in his words, “came up with the vaccine,” that “they said it would take 3 to 5 years,” and lo and behold there were three available around the end of his one-term presidency. He blamed massive Republican hesitancy to get dosed on Joe Biden, saying that “because they don’t trust the president, people aren’t doing it.”

If it seemed odd that he would take credit for something that very few of his supporters want to touch seemed odd, then this seemed an even stranger thing to tell them. “I recommend you take it,” Trump told the crowd, only to quickly add, “but I also believe in your freedoms, 100%.”

Since the vaccines started rolling out late last year, some have begged Trump to be a bigger cheerleader for their efficacy. After all, that would mean more of his supporters wouldn’t die unnecessarily. But he hasn’t, and now the vast majority of COVID-related cases and deaths are among the unvaccinated, most of whom are Trump die-hards. So maybe an awkward, hesitant plea to get vaxxed will make a dent in that, however small that may be.