In response to President Joe Biden’s praise of his booster shot, previous president Donald Trump declared that he is “surprised,” albeit “very appreciative” of Biden’s remarks.
“I’m very appreciative of [Biden’s gratitude],” Trump remarked, adding that he was “surprised to hear it.”
In remarks to Fox News, Trump added that he believes Biden’s thank you is “a terrific thing,” and it will likely “[make] a lot of people happy.”
Recently, Biden held a press conference where he discussed plans for increasing COVID-19 testing capacity across the nation, as well as for expanding the access Americans have to vaccines. In addition, Biden also proclaimed support for hospitals across the nation, which are presently dealing with a massive increase in cases related to the omicron variant.
In his remarks, Biden declared that “American is one of the first countries to get the vaccine … thanks to the prior administration and [the nation’s] scientific community.”
Biden also added that it was thanks to his own administration, as well as “the hard work of Americans,” that the nation was able to lead “a rollout that made America strong among the world leaders in getting shots in the arms.”
In remarks to Fox News, Trump also observed that Biden’s commentary to the nation could prove to be enormously helpful in the ongoing fight against the COVID pandemic, especially since “trust” and “tone” comprise two major incentives for encouraging Americans to become vaccinated against COVID.
“I think [Biden] did something very good,” Trump commented.
The former president noted that overcoming the pandemic also has to be “a process of healing in this country,” which is why Biden’s remarks “will help a lot.”
Under the Trump administration, Operation Warp Speed was created. The public-private partnership resulted in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting emergency use authorization approval to the Moderna and Pfizer COVID vaccines in just under a year.
Trump noted that Operation Warp Speed was “a great thing” achieved by collective effort, and while he “may have been the vehicle,” all participants “did this together.”
Currently, the nation is battling the rise of the omicron variant, which has significantly contributed to a national increase in COVID infections. According to the CDC, omicron comprises approximately three-quarters of new COVID cases in the United States.