Trump claims credit for US vaccine success

‘I hope everyone remembers’: Trump claims credit for US vaccine success in tweet-like statement saying the ‘beautiful shot’ for the ‘China Virus’ would be five years away if not for him

• Trump said he ‘hopes everyone remembers’ that jabs were developed under him
• He claimed to be responsible for speeding up jab progress by at least five years
• Joe Biden has revelled in a rapid jab drive that has given out nearly 100m doses

Donald Trump sought to take credit for America’s vaccine success last night in a tweet-like statement claiming that the jab would be five years away if not for him.  

As Joe Biden revels in the rapid pace of the roll-out that is set to deliver its 100millionth dose in the coming days, the former president said he ‘hopes everyone remembers’ who was in charge when the jabs were developed. 

‘I hope everyone remembers when they’re getting the Covid-19 (often referred to as the China Virus) vaccine, that if I wasn’t president, you wouldn’t be getting that beautiful shot for five years, at best, and probably wouldn’t be getting it at all,’ he said. 

Trump issued the statement under the letterhead of The Office of Donald J. Trump, but it read like tweets that he has been unable to send since he was banned from the platform in the wake of the Capitol riot on January 6. 

Donald Trump, pictured, sought to take credit for America’s vaccine success after some of the available jabs were developed under his presidency 

Trump issued the statement under the letterhead of The Office of Donald J. Trump but it read like one of the tweets he has been unable to send since his social media ban 

Trump’s boast was backed up by his former press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who accused Biden of ‘denying the successful operation Trump left him’.  

‘President Trump put in place an unprecedented vaccine operation that paved the way for President Biden,’ she said. 

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines passed clinical trials and were approved while Trump was president, giving the US a head start on many other nations. 

But Pfizer developed its vaccine without any research funding from Operation Warp Speed, the federal jab program touted by the Trump administration.   

Other vaccines such as the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab were developed at similarly impressive speed without any help from Trump or the US government.  

Nonetheless, while in office, Trump asked future historians to ‘remember that these great discoveries which will end the China Plague all took place on my watch’.  

Trump last month told his supporters at CPAC to ‘get your shot’, but is absent from two new public announcements featuring every other living former president. 

Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama will appear in the public service announcements with their respective first ladies, the Ad Council says. 

Joe Biden, pictured, is on track to reach his goal of vaccinating 100million people in his first 100 days in office – but Trump wants people to give him credit 

‘The science is clear. These vaccines will protect you and those you love from this dangerous and deadly disease,’ said President Bush in one of the adverts. 

‘That’s the first step to ending the pandemic and moving our country forward,’ Obama says. 

When asked about Trump’s absence, a spokesman for the Ad Council said one of the PSAs was filmed at Biden’s inauguration in January which Trump did not attend. 

While Trump and his allies claim credit for the rapid roll-out, the Biden White House says it has nearly doubled the number of jabs being delivered per week. 

Press secretary Jen Psaki said earlier this month that the number of doses available per week had risen from 8.6million to 15.2million since Biden took office.   

Biden promised 100million doses in his first 100 days in office, a mission which is comfortably on target with nearly 96million jabs handed out so far. 

The daily rate of vaccinations now averages more than two million shots, and more than 75million doses have been administered since Biden was sworn in. 

Former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will appear in public service announcements about the Covid-19 vaccines, but Trump will not 

Under pressure to set a more ambitious target, Biden indicated after taking office that he might raise the goal to 150million. 

The rapid progress has put America near the top of the world rankings, with a rate of 28 doses administered per 100 people comparing favorably to other rich nations. 

Around 18 per cent of the population has received at least one dose, behind Britain’s 33 per cent but well ahead of the European Union figure of seven per cent. 

Nearly 10 per cent of Americans have had two doses, a figure bettered only by Israel and the United Arab Emirates, according to research by Our World In Data.  

On Wednesday, Biden said the US would start exporting surplus jabs once ‘Americans are taken care of’ as he unveiled plans to buy another 100million doses.   

We’re going to start off and ensure Americans are taken care of first, but we’re then going to try to help the rest of the world,’ Biden told reporters.  

‘If we have a surplus, we’re going to share it with the rest of the world,’ Biden said, adding that ‘we’re not going to be ultimately safe, until the world is safe.  

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