Back in August, President Donald Trump bragged that tremendous progress was being made on the production of a vaccine for the novel coronavirus and even suggested that Americans would be able to line up for vaccine injections as soon as Election Day, Nov. 3.
As NBC News reported at the time:
“When asked on Geraldo Rivera’s radio show if a vaccine could be ready by Nov. 3, Trump said, ‘I think in some cases, yes, possible before, but right around that time.’
“‘We have great companies, great. These are the greatest companies of the world,’ Trump said. ‘And the rest of the world is also doing vaccines, so let’s see how they do. I’m all for them, whoever comes up with them.”
Now, however, the White House is attempting to walk back Trump’s comments and suggest the Election Day date was merely a “arbitrary deadline,” according to Politico:
“We’ve got nearly half a dozen vaccines that are in Phase Three clinical trials, which is record time to get it there for a novel virus like we’re dealing with,” White House strategic communications director Alyssa Farah told reporters. “We’re still highly confident we’ll have one by the end of the year and be prepared to deploy it to a hundred million Americans.”
“His goal has never — Election Day is kind of an arbitrary deadline,” she added.
Translation: You can go ahead and stack that broken promise atop the Mt. Everest of half-truths and outright lies this president has told over the past four years and continues to tell at his superspreader campaign rallies.
At the last presidential debate with Joe Biden, Trump again reiterated “we have a vaccine” that is “ready” and available “within weeks.” When moderator Kristen Welker pressed him on the claim, the president asserted that there was a “good chance” a coronavirus vaccine would be available to the public before the end of the year.
Featured Image Via NBC News
