(A7) Former US President Donald Trump is criticizing politicians who refuse to say whether they’ve received a COVID-19 booster shot.
In an interview with One America News, which aired on Tuesday, Trump said he received the booster and has seen politicians get asked in interviews whether they’ve also gotten a third shot.
“They don’t want to say it because they’re gutless. 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 throughout the world. I’ve had absolutely no side effects,” he said.
Trump added that the COVID-19 vaccine largely prevents people from being hospitalized or dying from the disease.
“If they get it, they’re not going to hospitals for the most part and dying,” the former President said. “Before it was a horror, and now they’re not.”
Trump revealed last month, during an appearance in Dallas with Bill O’Reilly, that he received a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
When the crowd reacted to Trump’s announcement with boos, the former President urged them not to do so.
Days later, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the White House is “grateful” that Trump received a booster shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“We are grateful that the former President got the booster. We’re also grateful that he made clear in a recent interview that they’re effective and they’re safe. And that’s an important message for anyone to hear,” Psaki said.
“This is not a partisan issue. This is about saving lives, communicating accurate information, pushing back against inaccurate information, and in this particular case, the former president did that,” she added.
Trump’s latest remarks on the boosters appeared to be in part to be directed at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered a possible Republican contender for president in 2024, who has so far refused to directly answer questions about whether he has received a booster shot.
While Trump has yet to make a formal announcement on a 2024 presidential, he predicted in October he would prevail in a Republican primary matchup against DeSantis.
“If I faced him, I’d beat him like I would beat everyone else,” Trump declared, though he added, “I don’t think I will face him. I think most people would drop out, I think he would drop out.”
