President Donald Trump has it right on one of the most important issues of the day. I may not agree with him on everything, but he really nailed it with his efforts to create and support vaccines.
Trump can take a large degree of credit for creating and delivering lifesaving vaccines to the market in record time. He was right to create a public-private partnership to fight the Covid-19 pandemic and was right to oppose mandates on freedom loving Americans. Trump was right to push Americans to get these vaccinations because they are safe, yet the media refuses to give him the credit he deserves.
The history books will record that one of Trump’s greatest accomplishments as president was the establishment and creation of Operation Warp Speed. According to the Government Accounting Office (GAO) in a report published in February of 2021, “Operation Warp Speed (OWS)—a partnership between the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DOD)” was found to adopt “several strategies to accelerate vaccine development and mitigate risk.” One example is that “OWS selected vaccine candidates that use different mechanisms to stimulate an immune response,” while at the same time, “vaccine companies also took steps, such as starting large-scale manufacturing during clinical trials and combining clinical trial phases or running them concurrently.” In other words, the testing and manufacturing happened at the same time. This unique and unprecedented strategy proved to be successful.
Let’s be honest. The media’s hatred of Trump prevents them from giving him credit for any of his accomplishments. President Trump had significant accomplishments on the economy, foreign policy, and tax policy, yet the media can’t give him credit for anything. He was a leader in pushing a public-private partnership that ushered a Covid-19 vaccine to the American people quicker than anybody anticipated. For this, the media should give him some credit, yet they seem to be blinded by hatred for his antics at the end of his administration.
Trump is also correct to oppose mandates. We live in a free country where government is supposed to respect the idea of individual freedom and the right to allow individuals, and families, to make their own decisions on how to protect themselves. Some Americans don’t believe they need a vaccine because they have already been infected. Many who have been infected in the past have a degree of immunity. Some Americans have health related issues that cause resistance to the vaccine. Some freedom-lovers have made the personal choice to not get the shot.
The best way for the government to discourage Americans to get shots is to impose a mandate. Forcing Americans to do something through a government mandate is a great way to get people to do the opposite. When the government threatens to punish American for not getting a shot or refusing to wear a mask, the government is setting a dangerous precedent that they have the power to take away other freedoms. We don’t live in a country that grants government unlimited powers.
While opposing mandates, President Trump was correct to encourage Americans to get vaccinated in the face of some conservative resistance. He did get some begrudging media coverage for his support of vaccines. Of course, the liberal media used the opportunity to pit Trump against other conservatives in a way that attempted to drive a wedge between Trump and the conservative movement at large. Some may believe that because they oppose mandates, they must oppose the vaccine that President Trump helped to create. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Trump has even taken other conservative politicians to the political woodshed for refusing to say whether they have had a shot or not. The Associated Press (AP) reported on January 13, 2022, “former President Donald Trump says politicians who refuse to say whether they’ve received COVID-19 booster shots are ‘gutless.’” The story referenced Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as “a rising star in the Republican Party who is often mentioned as a possible 2024 presidential contender, has notably declined to say whether he has received a booster.” Trump will not back down, and he is on good footing to push conservative politicians to disclose their own vaccine status to remove some of the hesitancy from some Americans who have refused to get a vaccine or booster.
No matter your criticism of President Trump, you must give him credit for creating vaccines and promoting the use of them while opposing government mandates. There is no conflict between freedom and the idea that people can be encouraged to take a vaccine that has proven to be both effective and widely used. Over time, resistance will wane as the evidence emerges that these vaccines are safe to use and President Trump will deserve to be in the history books for his heroic efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
Christian Josi is a former executive director of The American Conservative Union and CPAC. He currently serves as founder and managing partner of C. Josi & Company, a global communications and public affairs consultancy. He writes frequently for a variety of publications on a variety of subjects.
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