Former President Trump recommended that Americans, and specifically those who voted for him, get vaccinated against COVID-19 during an interview with Fox News on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Polling has shown that Republicans are more likely to resist the idea of receiving a coronavirus vaccine and public officials are increasingly concerned it could prevent the country from achieving herd immunity against the virus.
Context: NIAID Director Anthony Fauci told "Fox News Sunday" that "it would make all the difference in the world" if former President Trump urged his supporters to take the coronavirus vaccine.
- "I'm very surprised that the high percentage of Republicans say they don't want to get vaccinated," Fauci said.
- "I don't understand where that's coming from. This is not a political issue. This is a public health issue."
What he's saying: "I would, I would recommend [the vaccine]," Trump told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo.
- "And I would recommend it to a lot of people that don't want to get it, and a lot of those people voted for me, frankly."
Yes, but: Trump added that "we have our freedoms and we have to live by that and I agree with that also."