Dr. Anthony Fauci offered some rare praise for former President Donald Trump during a press briefing with President Joe Biden’s coronavirus advisory team, crediting his administration for speedily developing the coronavirus vaccines.
“Because of the wise investment in Operation Warp Speed and we give credit to the Trump administration for doing this, particularly Secretary Alex Azar,” Fauci said.
He acknowledged that many people expressed concerns about the speedy development of the vaccine, but he reassured people hesitant to get the vaccine that it had been rigorously tested.
Fauci specifically credited the Trump administration’s decision to start manufacturing the vaccine before different phases of the medical trials were completed.
He said Trump’s gamble worked, as the vaccines were approved for emergency authorization.
“If the vaccine doesn’t work, you’ve lost a lot of money. If the vaccine does work, you’ve saved a lot of time, and that’s exactly what happened,” Fauci said.
Biden and his administration continue to struggle to get more Americans vaccinated against the virus, especially Republicans who voted for Trump’s reelection.
During the 2020 campaign, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both expressed hesitancy about a vaccine developed under the Trump administration.
“Let me be clear. I trust vaccines. I trust scientists. But I don’t trust Donald Trump. And at this moment, the American people can’t either,” Biden said during a September 2020 speech.
“If the public health professionals, if Dr. Fauci, if the doctors tell us that we should take it, I’ll be the first in line to take it, absolutely. But if Donald Trump tells us that we should take it, I’m not taking it,” Harris said during the vice presidential debate.
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