Donald Trump blasted GOP lawmakers who refuse to reveal their vaccination status while endorsing vaccines saying they save “tens of millions” of lives.
In an interview with far right One America News network, Trump, who was booed for revealing he was vaccinated and boosted by his fans, says he experienced no symptoms after getting a booster shot and blasted some in his party for refusing to admit they did the same.
“Many politicians — I watched a couple of politicians be interviewed and one of the questions was, ‘Did you get the booster?’ because they had the vaccine — and they’re answering it like … ‘yes’ but they don’t want to say it. Because they’re gutless,” Trump told OAN host Dan Ball.
“You gotta say it—whether you had it or not. Say it. But the fact is that I think the vaccines saved tens of millions of people throughout the world. I’ve had absolutely no side effects,” he added.
Though Trump did not identify any politician by name, a number of GOP politicians including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, seen as one of Trump’s biggest obstacles to the GOP nomination for president in 2024, has repeatedly dodged questions about his vaccination status.
Asked if he had received the booster by Fox News in December, DeSantis said, “So, I’ve done whatever I did … The normal shot, and that at the end of the day is people’s individual decisions about what they want to do.”
Asked again by Politico earlier this month, DeSantis’ spokesperson, Christina Pushaw refused to give a straight answer.
“I am not privy to the governor’s private medical decisions and am unable to share information about his booster status,” Pushaw said. “Governor DeSantis has consistently said that vaccination (and by extension, boosters) should be a personal choice, and anyone who has questions or concerns should consult with a healthcare provider.”
Nearly half of House Republicans also refused to say if they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, including Trump allies Matt Gaetz, Jim Jordan and Marjorie Taylor-Greene, CNN reports.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only about 37 percent of eligible Americans have received their booster shot.
