Trump Can’t Cram His ‘Fake News’ Genie Back in His Bottle
In case you missed it, dear reader, here’s a word from the wise: Don’t eat horse paste.
Unless, of course, you’re a horse.
That tidbit of animal husbandry comes from the federal Food and Drug Administration in a warning to humans who are considering the “horse paste” drug ivermectin, a medicine used to deworm livestock, instead of getting a COVID-19 shot.
“You are not a horse,” the FDA tweeted. “You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.”
That’s right. Stop it. That same day the FDA announced its full U.S. authorization of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, removing a leading excuse given by a group commonly known as the “vaccine hesitant.”
That long-awaited good news came a couple of days after another rare development: Donald Trump told an Alabama rally to get vaccinated — and got booed for it.
“You know what? I believe totally in your freedoms,” he said and the crowd applauded. But some of the applause turned to boos when he added, “I recommend: Take the vaccines! I did it — it’s good. Take the vaccines.”
“That’s OK, that’s all right,” he said, reading the somewhat conflicted mood of the still-murmuring crowd. “You got your freedoms. But I happened to take the vaccine.”
Then, with the skills of a seasoned stand-up comedian, he defused the tense moment with a joke: “If it doesn’t work, you’ll be the first to know, OK?”
OK. But that surprising reaction from the MAGA (Make America Great Again) crowd revealed a big reason why Trump has been so reluctant until now to invite his supporters, the most vax-reluctant political group in polls, to get the jab. He doesn’t want to offend his base.
...continued
(c) 2021 CLARENCE PAGE DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
