These politicians downplayed the coronavirus but are now among the first scheduled to receive the COVID-19 vaccine
Joni Ernst via Twitter screenshot
- Most prominent American politicians have already received the COVID-19 vaccine or are set to soon, even though many had previously downplayed the pandemic.
- President Donald Trump, who has not taken the vaccine yet, has routinely spread misinformation about the public health crisis.
- Some of the president's Republican allies have refused to dispute his claims and added to the misleading messages on the pandemic.
- Here's a list of all the leaders who once pushed back on the science but have now taken the vaccine or intend to soon.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Most prominent American politicians are lining up to get the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, though some of them have not always supported the science during the pandemic.
Since the Food and Drug Administration authorized two coronavirus vaccines this month and shipments have rolled out across the country, President Donald Trump has neglected to take the lead in a national messaging strategy that would encourage people to get the vaccine once it becomes widely available to the general public next year. His administration has launched a vaccine awareness campaign, though it's unclear what role Trump will play, if any.
Instead, much of the responsibility has been left up to other elected officials, many of whom are publicly broadcasting themselves getting the vaccine in an attempt to quell skepticism and instill public confidence, after months of the president pushing misinformation, routinely downplaying the pandemic, and flouting public health guidelines including mask-wearing and social distancing.
A portion of those leaders had once enabled Trump's falsehoods, either refusing to dispute the president's misleading claims or neglecting to follow public health recommendations. They are now among some of the first people in the country to get the vaccine.
Trump has not yet taken the vaccine, and has not specified when he intends to, though experts and public health officials have recommended him to. President-elect Joe Biden received the vaccine on Monday.
As of Tuesday, here are the politicians who previously downplayed the virus but have now received the COVID-19 vaccine or have announced they will soon.
Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
Vice President Mike Pence, who was in charge of the government's pandemic response, has spread misleading claims and downplayed the crisis on several occasions.
In the early days of the outbreak, he defended Trump and denied that the president had belittled the severity of the virus. In April, Pence acknowledged that the US had been hard hit, but weeks later contradicted himself and declared that the pandemic would be over by Memorial Day weekend.
Over the summer, as cases and deaths spiked across the country, Pence maintained his tone and wrote an op-ed in June announcing the federal government's "success" at tackling the pandemic.
"Such panic is overblown," Pence wrote in the Wall Street Journal following concerns about a second wave.
Pence has also often defied CDC guidelines: He's dismissed wearing a mask in public settings, appeared at campaign events with tightly packed crowds, and refused to quarantine after being exposed to the virus.
Last week, Pence got the shot on live TV "to assure the American people" about the vaccine, he said.
Iowa Sen. Joni ErnstJoni Ernst via Twitter screenshot
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst made national headlines in September after she touted a baseless conspiracy theory about the pandemic that has been promoted by fringe groups like QAnon.
During a campaign stop with supporters, the Republican questioned the national coronavirus case count and said she was "skeptical" of the official figures.
"These health-care providers and others are reimbursed at a higher rate if COVID is tied to it, so what do you think they're doing?" Ernst asked the crowd.
Ernst received the vaccine shot on Saturday, posting a photo to her Twitter account with the caption: "I encourage all Iowans and Americans to do the same when their time comes."
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham
Sen. Lindsey Graham via Twitter screenshot
South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham stirred controversy when he refused to take a COVID-19 test prior to his in-person debate with then-Democratic candidate Jamie Harrison in October.
Harrison said he and the debate moderators agreed that both candidates should test negative before appearing on stage, yet Graham rejected his call, and the debate was canceled.
Graham took the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Saturday.
"Thank God for those who produced these vaccines," he wrote in a tweet. "If enough of us take it, we will get back to normal lives. Help is on the way."
Indiana Sen. Todd Young
Sen. Todd Young via Twitter screenshot
Sen. Todd Young has previously vouched for Trump's handling of the pandemic and also dismissed that the president downplayed the outbreak.
The Indiana Republican told The Times of Northwest Indiana in April that on "so many fronts the president has shown tremendous leadership throughout this pandemic."
Young posted a photo to his Twitter account of him getting the vaccine on Saturday, and advised "all Americans to get the vaccine as soon as they can to help stop the spread of this virus."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantisJoe Raedle/Getty Images
Gov. Ron DeSantis has not received the COVID-19 vaccine yet, but announced that he intends to get the shot in a "couple more months," West Palm Beach TV reported on Monday.
DeSantis has been criticized for his response in Florida, one of the major virus hotspots in the country. The governor is a staunch supporter of Trump. He has long backed the president's approach to reopening and implementing few COVID-related restrictions.
DeSantis has resisted issuing a statewide mask mandate, and even imposed a ban on local officials who wished to fine people for not wearing face-coverings in public.
He also welcomed Trump to the state for a campaign rally during the 2020 election, closely mingling with supporters and disregarding social distancing rules.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds
Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is another Trump ally who said she plans to take the vaccine, though has not specified a date yet, the Des Moines Register reported last week.
Reynolds, a Republican, attended a Trump rally in the state in October, tossing out MAGA hats to large crowds. After critics blasted the move, Reynolds repeated the Trump campaign's claims that supporters all wore masks and followed health guidelines, though pictures of the event told a different story.
Like DeSantis in Florida, Reynolds has overseen a huge number of coronavirus cases and deaths in Iowa. She has refused to implement a statewide mask mandate.
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