A surprising endorsement of COVID vaccines came out recently - from none other than Donald Trump. Trump has a spotty history when it comes to supporting good science, and he’s well known to skeptics for touting several unproven cures (including that particularly confusing press conference where he talked about bleach and an internal UV light).

However, Trump recently said (in an interview with another dubious character, Candace Owens):

“The vaccines work, but some people aren’t taking it. The ones that get very sick and go to the hospital are the ones who don’t take the vaccine. But it’s still their choice. And if you take the vaccine you’re protected. The results of the vaccine are very good and if you do get it’s a very minor form. People aren’t dying if they take the vaccine.”

So, given Trump’s often tenuous grasp of reality, and the many dangerous Republican policies around COVID in the US, why would Trump be boasting about how well the vaccines work? Well, it’s because he thinks the vaccines are his achievement. From the same interview:

“The vaccine is one of the greatest achievements of mankind… I came up with three vaccines… in less than 9 months. It was supposed to take five to twelve years.”

I’m not sure how the many scientists who worked tirelessly on the vaccines for many months feel about this, but personally I’m inclined to let this one slide. Many of the Republican rank and file still look up to Trump, indeed many somehow believe he is still their rightful President. So if Trump is able to convince some of these vaccine hesitant Republicans to get themselves vaccinated, that’s a win in my book.