But if there’s one thing Mr. Trump does know, it’s how to sell stuff. And, as has become disturbingly clear over the past few years, the Republican electorate is willing to buy whatever he’s peddling. Why not put his gifts to productive use? Instead of pushing partisan fiction or dangerous conspiracy theories, direct it toward convincing his legion of fans of the benefits of protecting themselves — and their loved ones — from a lethal pandemic.
Admittedly, Mr. Trump did more than almost anyone to politicize the pandemic and downplay its dangers. His call to vaccination at CPAC was less a public service announcement than a boast, as he sought to remind the crowd that it was on his watch that the vaccines were developed lickety-split. “Some say it’s the greatest thing to happen in hundreds of years,” he proclaimed. Fine. The Covid vaccine development was quite the marvel. In the past, vaccine development usually took at least four or five years. Early in the pandemic, talk of getting something approved for emergency use inside of a year seemed absurdly optimistic.
Does Mr. Trump deserve all the accolades for this medical miracle? Of course not. But if he wants to claim a piece of the credit in exchange for getting these new vaccines into the arms of his vaccine-skeptical supporters, that seems like a reasonable deal.
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