President Joe Biden blamed alternative media sources on Tuesday for convincing Americans to refuse the coronavirus vaccines.
“The unvaccinated are responsible for their own choices, but those choices have been fueled by dangerous misinformation on cable tv and social media,” Biden said.
The president spoke about the spike in coronavirus cases as a result of the omicron variant of the virus, and repeatedly urged Americans to get vaccinated.
He criticized media figures and influencers for “peddling lies” to make money off of their audience, which he argued endangered their lives.
“It’s wrong. It’s immoral. I call on the purveyors of these lies and misinformation to stop it. Stop it now!” he said in his strongest condemnation of “misinformation” to date.
Prominent figures such as Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers and podcaster Joe Rogan have been targeted by critics for not getting vaccinated, sharing their reasons for making their decisions and detailing treatments for the virus after they were infected.
Other popularized figures who continue to pick through coronavirus and vaccine data continue raising questions on social media, usually getting banned from social media companies like Facebook and Twitter as a consequence.
Biden warned the unvaccinated population that they were hurting their country and their loved ones by refusing the shots.
“You may think you’re only putting yourself at risk, but it’s your choice, your choice is not just a choice about you, it affects other people, you’re putting other people at risk,” he said.