The twice-impeached, one-term former president Donald Trump and his wife, ex-First Lady Melania Trump, were given a COVID-19 vaccine in January before they left the White House, multiple outlets reported on Monday (Mar. 1.) A Trump adviser shared the information one day after Trump, 74, spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference and said, “Everyone should go get your shot” (according to The New York Times.) The news that Melania, 50, and Donald were inoculated after his long history of downplaying the virus – and months after they both contracted the disease – did not sit well with some voters.
“Trump & wife got vaxxed (at least once) before leaving White House – yet he told no one – did not want to ruin that ‘tough guy’ image. Screw civic duty and convincing others to take it. He plays his cult for the fools they are,” one person tweeted. Another added, “Getting the vaccine didn’t fit in with Trump’s ‘tough guy’ image and with the myth that COVID-19 was a hoax- so Donald and Melania Trump were vaccinated in secret at the White House before they left. Because he really is that big of an a–hole,” added another. “Trump hides getting vaccinated so his followers don’t discover his hypocrisy and lies about COVID-19.”
#tuesdayvibe
Donald and Melania Trump both got vaccinated for Covid 19 in secret before leaving the White House in January. Remember how he kept telling everyone it was a hoax, just a flu? Maybe the 1/3 of Americans refusing vaccines would have changed their minds.— Rex Zane 🏴☠️ (@rexzane1) March 2, 2021
Trump and Melania getting the vaccine while saying covid is a hoax pic.twitter.com/BmRbltsz6b
— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) March 1, 2021
It’s been nearly a year since Trump infamously said, “We’re prepared [for COVID-19], and we’re doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away. Everybody has to be vigilant and has to be careful. But be calm. It’s really working out. And a lot of good things are going to happen.” The words may come to define Trump’s legacy. Twelve months after that statement, the Center for Disease Control reports that the United States has seen over 28.4 million cases. 511,000+ people have died from the virus.
It may be hard to summarize up all the ways Donald Trump has misled, lied about, and downplayed the COVID-19 pandemic, but The Atlantic published an exhaustive list in November 2020. Perhaps the most damning remark came after Donald tested positive for COVID-19 and spent four days hospitalized at Walter Reed. “Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” he tweeted on Oct. 5. The phrase “don’t be afraid of COVID” drew the ire from many, especially those who lost loved ones to the disease.