Fox News' Geraldo Rivera suggests naming COVID-19 vaccine after Trump


Americans at some point in the future will have to make sure to get their yearly "Trump," if Geraldo Rivera has his way.
Amid promising news on COVID-19 vaccine candidates, including one from Pfizer that could potentially start being distributed next month if all goes well, Rivera on Friday's Fox & Friends had a humble suggestion: the vaccines should be named after President Trump.
"With the world so divided, and everybody telling [Trump] he's gotta give up, and time to leave, and time to transition and all the rest of it, why not name the vaccine the Trump?" Rivera said. "Make it like, 'Have you gotten your Trump yet?' It would be a nice gesture to him."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rivera evidently wasn't just talking about naming one particular coronavirus vaccine after Trump, but making the word Trump a "generic name" for the idea of a vaccine against the coronavirus, something that probably wouldn't go over as well in a "divided" world like Rivera seemed to suggest. Clearly, though Trump would be thrilled, having evidently been fuming over the idea of not being able to take credit for vaccine distribution.
After announcing positive vaccine data earlier this month, though, Pfizer tried to distance itself from Trump's Operation Warp Speed. While the company in July reached a $1.95 billion agreement with the federal government for doses of its vaccine, the company's head of vaccine research and development was quick to say that, at least when it comes to this research and development, "We have never taken any money from the U.S. government, or from anyone." Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
One great cookbook: ‘The Woks of Life’
The Week Recommends A family’s opinionated, reliable take on all kinds of Chinese cooking
-
Digital addiction: the compulsion to stay online
In depth What it is and how to stop it
-
Can Trump bully Netanyahu into Gaza peace?
Today's Big Question The Israeli leader was ‘strong-armed’ into new peace deal
-
FDA OKs generic abortion pill, riling the right
Speed Read The drug in question is a generic version of mifepristone, used to carry out two-thirds of US abortions
-
RFK Jr. vaccine panel advises restricting MMRV shot
Speed Read The committee voted to restrict access to a childhood vaccine against chickenpox
-
Texas declares end to measles outbreak
Speed Read The vaccine-preventable disease is still spreading in neighboring states, Mexico and Canada
-
RFK Jr. shuts down mRNA vaccine funding at agency
Speed Read The decision canceled or modified 22 projects, primarily for work on vaccines and therapeutics for respiratory viruses
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year high
Speed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, change
Speed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials