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Will Trump volunteer to take Covid-19 vaccine? Obama, Bush and Clinton agree to get vaccinated on live TV

With former presidents volunteering to raise public awareness as American health officials try to convince the masses to take the vaccine, Trump staying mum on the issue raised many doubts online

Former presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton have all volunteered to get their Covid-19 vaccines on camera to build public confidence in the vaccine's safety once the US Food and Drug Administration authorizes such a vaccine. After the news hit social media circuits, many people had theories behind whY soon-to-be-ex President Donald Trump's name was missing from the list of volunteers. 

The volunteering was part of former presidents' bid to raise public awareness as American health officials try to convince the masses to take the vaccine.

Freddy Ford, Bush's chief of staff, told CNN that the 43rd President had reached out to Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the nation's top infectious disease expert, as well as Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, to find out how he could help promote the vaccine.

"A few weeks ago President Bush asked me to let Dr Fauci and Dr Birx know that, when the time is right, he wants to do what he can to help encourage his fellow citizens to get vaccinated," Ford told the news outlet. "First, the vaccines need to be deemed safe and administered to the priority populations. Then, President Bush will get in line for his, and will gladly do so on camera."

Clinton's press secretary told CNN that he too would be willing to take the vaccine in a public setting in order to promote it. "President Clinton will definitely take a vaccine as soon as available to him, based on the priorities determined by public health officials. And he will do it in a public setting if it will help urge all Americans to do the same," Angel Urena said.

Obama himself admitted recently in an interview with SiriusXM host Joe Madison that if Fauci deemed a coronavirus vaccine is safe, he would believe him and would have no issues being administered the same vaccine. "People like Anthony Fauci, who I know, and I've worked with, I trust completely," Obama said.

"So, if Anthony Fauci tells me this vaccine is safe, and can vaccinate, you know, immunize you from getting Covid, absolutely, I'm going to take it. I promise you that when it's been made for people who are less at risk, I will be taking it," he said. "I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed, just so that people know that I trust this science, and what I don't trust is getting Covid-19." 

Although Trump is still the sitting president, he is on his way out of the White House, having lost to President-elect Joe Biden in the 2020 election. As a result, he would soon be joining the group of living former presidents which include Obama, Bush, Clinton and Jimmy Carter. As a result, social media users criticized the fact that Trump's name was excluded from the list of volunteers, many of them mocking this fact. 

"'Former Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton volunteer to get coronavirus vaccine publicly to prove it's safe, Trump conspicuously absent," one of them wrote, while another added, "These are more than Presidents, they are good friends as well. Donald Trump will never be part of this group of Presidents because he attacked them." A third commented, "Can we line up Trump to get a Clorox shot at the same time?"

A user was concerned about the vaccine being sabotaged by the Trump administration even though the former presidents were willing to promote the same. "Still would not trust getting vaccinated until Biden is sworn in and sitting in the WH. The Trump PPL can swap out the vaccine for something toxic after Bush & Obama get their shots. Trump is Truly Evil" the user remarked.

Another said: "Dear President Obama, please wait until Trump leaves office before taking the vaccine, who knows what he will put in your dose." The next tweeted, "45's ego cannot allow him to be part of this club..." One more said, "More interesting is whether Uncle Donnie would also like his own. Remember he said is because of him that there's already a vaccine." Somebody else wrote, "The President's Club. I wonder if #Trump will fit in come Feb 2021"