White House Biden would welcome Trump’s help in vaccine promotion

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The question of how to influence white Republicans – who polls are more reluctant to receive the vaccine – has been the subject of discussions between President Joe Biden and his advisers.

“I have discussed this with my team and they say that what has more impact than anything Trump would say to the folks at MAGA is what the local doctors, what the local preachers say, what the community residents say, “Biden told the White House Monday.

“I urge all local doctors, ministers and priests to talk about why, why it is important to get vaccinated, and even after that, until everyone is in fact vaccinated, to wear this mask,” did he declare.

Previously, the White House had explained how it reached out to conservatives with messages about vaccines, even as officials acknowledged that a Democratic president does not have the same weight among this population as other public figures.

“If former President Trump woke up tomorrow and wanted to speak more about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, we would definitely be in favor of that,” Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a briefing for the White House Monday.

Health officials, including Dr Anthony Fauci, said Trump’s voice in promoting the vaccine would go a long way in convincing Republicans to get it. Polls have shown that Republicans are more likely to say they are suspicious or not considering getting the vaccine.

Trump made small efforts to promote the vaccine, including in a speech at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, but he did not appear in a public service announcement featuring former presidents who was released last week.

Psaki noted that these presidents – Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter – “did not need an engraved invitation” to promote the vaccine.

Trump has not been approached to participate in the PSA, CNN recently reported, and has expressed little interest in joining his predecessors in promoting the vaccine.

Still, Psaki said the administration was focusing on using “trusted messengers” to convince wary populations to get vaccinated.

“The president’s goal is to vaccinate all Americans, not just those who voted for him,” she said. “We know we have to meet everyone where they are, and that includes the Conservatives.”

She said Fauci and Dr Francis Collins, the head of the National Institutes of Health, would meet with evangelical leaders on Tuesday to discuss vaccines and how best to promote them among this population.

And she cited polls showing more Republicans would trust a doctor or health care provider to decide whether to get the shot.

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