United States President Joe Biden received widespread criticism for his Thursday statements where he claimed credit for the country's coronavirus vaccination program, despite former President Donald Trump being responsible for the rollout of the treatments.
In his address, the Democratic leader claimed he was responsible for starting the country's vaccination program that was able to supply enough shots for eligible Americans. He argued that the federal government was able to inoculate three million residents every single day.
Biden Claims Credit For Trump's Work
Many people, including some fact-checkers, have blasted the Democrat for his remarks and boasting about programs that were not his doing. Biden was also scrutinized for downplaying former President Trump's work regarding the coronavirus.
In February, shortly after he took office, Biden noted that four weeks before his seat as president of the United States, there was no plan to distribute the coronavirus vaccine to most Americans. However, in September of last year, the Trump administration was already working on administering residents with the injections.
During the same address, Biden claimed that Trump's administration could not acquire enough vaccines to protect all of the United States residents. He also argued that the Republican businessman failed to mobilize the effort to administer the shots to the country's people, the New York Post reported.
Biden also said that his newly announced vaccine mandates that required Americans to get inoculated or risk losing their jobs was good for the economy. He added that his programs had received broad public support.
The Democrat also called on more businesses to implement vaccine mandates to protect their employees and families better. Despite his efforts to vaccinate more Americans, Biden's approval rating slumped at only 48%. His disapproval ratings also shot up and were now at 50%, with many criticizing his response to the pandemic.
Vaccine Mandates
Last month, the president announced plans to mandate vaccines for employees of firms with 100 or more workers. Individuals who refused to get the vaccines would be required to undergo weekly testing to ensure they were not infected with the virus. Authorities estimated that the mandate would affect more than 100 million workers nationwide, VOA News reported.
The situation comes as Biden continues to promote his vaccine mandates to businesses during his scheduled trip to Chicago, Illinois, on Thursday. The Democrat will meet with officials from both the private and public sectors. Biden is set to discuss the mandates and stress that they would "accelerate" the end of the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
Some of the leaders that Biden is set to meet with include Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. The Democratic president will also visit an Elk Grove Village construction site that Clayco is building. The firm, which is one of the largest construction companies in the Midwest, is set to announce "strong support" of Biden's vaccine mandates.
"Vaccination requirements work. Vaccination requirements get more people vaccinated, helping to end the pandemic and strengthen the economy. That's why he's leading on implementing vaccination requirements for 100 million workers - two-thirds of all workers in the U.S.", a White House official said ahead of Biden's trip, Fox News reported.
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