Biden is urging doctors and ministers to encourage Trump supporters to get vaccinated. But he also suggested to continue wearing masks, an advice that seems to contradict the very essence of vaccination.
Biden delivered his remarks on the implementation of the so-called American Rescue Plan on Monday. Responding to a reporter addressing the issue about vaccine skeptics, Biden turned to individuals whom he believed that the Republicans and Trump supporters trust for such issues, asking their help.
"I'm hearing a lot of reports from serious reporters like you saying that. I discussed it with my team, and they say the thing that has more impact than anything Trump would say to the MAGA folks is what the local doctor, what the local preachers, what the local people in the community say," he said.
"So I urge - I urge all local docs and - and ministers and priests and every - to talk about why - why it's important to get it - to get that vaccine, and even after that, until everyone is in fact vaccinated, to wear this mask," he added.
Breitbart wrote that Biden's statements follow a recent poll showing that 41% of Republicans oppose the plan of taking the vaccines, but the survey also indicated that this group of people trust their doctors.
The White House reportedly dismissed the idea of publicly seeking Trump's help of promoting vaccines to his followers.
"If former President Trump woke up tomorrow and wanted to be more vocal about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine, certainly we support that," Jen Psaki said.
"But there are a lot of different ways to engage, to reach out, to ensure that people of a range of political support and backing know the vaccine is safe and effective," she added, according to USA Today.
Further to Breitbart's report, Biden was himself skeptical of the vaccines, while they were being developed under Trump's administration, during his presidential campaign in August last year.
"People don't believe that he is telling the truth. Therefore, they're not at all certain they're going to take the vaccine," Biden alleged.
Trump, however, actually told people to "go get your shot" during his speech at the recent CPAC.
According to an article, a study conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research revealed that only 67% of Americans plan to get vaccinated or have already taken the vaccines. 15% disagree while 17% are uncertain, expressing doubts on the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines.
The poll reportedly implied that "substantial skepticism" prevails even after almost two months of the vaccination program's implementation. The survey also showed that higher percentage of opposition were among the younger people with no college degrees, Republicans and Black Americans.
In his remarks yesterday, Biden laid the goals of the so-called rescue plan. It aims to have 100 million citizens vaccinated in 10 days, distribute rescue checks to 85% of American households and extend unemployment insurance to 11 million people.
Further, he said that the plan will help small businesses keep their doors open, provide food for the hungry families, assist schools to open safely and halve the record of child poverty in the country.
