Trump rejects anti-vaccine talking point in Candace Owens interview: 'If you take the vaccine, you're protected'

Former President Donald Trump is continuing to advocate for COVID-19 vaccination.

In an interview with conservative commentator Candace Owens, Trump called the COVID-19 vaccines "one of the greatest achievements of mankind" after he revealed earlier this week he received his booster dose. Owens suggested the fact that "more people have died" since the vaccines became widely available might call their effectiveness into question, but Trump rejected this notion.

"No, the vaccine worked," he said. "But some people aren't taking it. The ones that get very sick and go to the hospital are the ones that don't take their vaccine."

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Trump went on to say that "if you take the vaccine, you're protected," and "if you do" still get COVID-19 while vaccinated, "it's a very minor form" of it. He added, "People aren't dying when they take their vaccine."

The comments came after Trump said at an event with former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly that he received his COVID-19 booster dose. This prompted some boos from the crowd, but Trump told his supporters they should "take credit" for the vaccines and that by being against vaccines, "you're playing right into their hands." While in office, Trump declined to get vaccinated in public like then-Vice President Mike Pence did, and it was only revealed that Trump received his vaccine at the White House nearly two months later.

President Biden during a speech earlier this week praised Trump for his comments about getting a booster dose, saying this "may be one of the few things he and I agree on," and he also thanked the efforts of "the prior administration" on vaccines. Trump later told Fox News he was "very appreciative" of Biden's comments. "It has to be a process of healing in this country," Trump said, "and that will help a lot."