Politics, Analysis: Trump's support of vaccines puts him at odds with part of his base.

Former President Trump is touting his administration's work in developing life-saving COVID-19 vaccines, putting him at odds with a portion of his base that is skeptical or opposed to the vaccines. 

Trump in a speech and in a recent interview with conservative pundit Candice Owens defended his administration's work in developing the vaccines, suggesting it is a landmark achievement from his years in office for which he deserves credit.

“I came up with a vaccine, with three vaccines,” Trump told Owens. “All are very, very good. Came up with three of them in less than nine months. It was supposed to take five to 12 years.”

Trump also pushed back at Owens when she responded by saying that more people have died from COVID-19 since the vaccines were available — a period that mostly coincides with the Biden administration, since vaccines only became available weeks before Trump left office.

“Oh no, the vaccines work,” Trump said, adding that the people who “get very sick and go to the hospital” are unvaccinated — a point medical experts have been stressing for months.

“Look, the results of the vaccine are very good, and if you do get it, it’s a very minor form,” Trump continued. “People aren’t dying when they take the vaccine.”

Polls suggest a majority of Republicans back vaccines and are vaccinated, but it’s not a large majority. ...

A Fox News poll conducted in August found that roughly one-third of Trump voters had no plans to get vaccinated against COVID-19. More recently, an Economist-YouGov survey conducted last week found that 75 percent of unvaccinated Trump voters say they don’t plan to receive any of the approved COVID-19 shots. ...