Trump calls politicians who refuse to say they received Covid boosters 'gutless'

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday criticized politicians who refuse to say whether they’ve received a Covid booster shot.

In an interview with far-right cable channel One America News, Trump said he received the booster and has seen politicians get asked in interviews whether they’ve also gotten a third shot.

“They don’t want to say it because they’re gutless,” Trump said. “You gotta say it, whether you had it or not. Say it. But the fact is that I think the vaccines saved tens of millions throughout the world. I’ve had absolutely no side effects.”

Trump said that the Covid vaccine largely prevents people from being hospitalized or dying from the disease.

“If they get it, they’re not going to hospitals for the most part and dying,” Trump said. “Before it was a horror, and now they’re not.”

Trump's latest comments appear to be partly an attempt to change the dialogue around vaccines and take credit for the effort. In the interview Trump referred to the pandemic response under his presidency, saying he had done "so well with therapeutics and, and vaccines and everything else and getting them done in record times," although his administration's rollout of vaccines was plagued by delays and shortages.

His remarks also appeared to be in part to be directed at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered a possible Republican contender for president in 2024, who has so far refused to directly answer questions about whether he has received a booster shot. ...