White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Thursday that the White House is “grateful” that former President Donald Trump received a booster shot of a COVID-19 vaccine.
“We are grateful that the former President got the booster. We’re also grateful that he made clear in a recent interview that they’re effective and they’re safe. And that’s an important message for anyone to hear,” Psaki said.
"This is not a partisan issue. This is about saving lives, communicating accurate information, pushing back against inaccurate information, and in this particular case, the former president did that,” she added.
Psaki also retweeted a clip of Trump endorsing COVID-19 vaccines during an interview with The Daily Wire.
In the interview, Trump shot down suggestions from host Candace Owens that vaccines don't work, saying “if you take the vaccine, you’re protected.”
“Look, the results of the vaccine are very good, and if you do get it, it’s a very minor form. People aren’t dying when they take the vaccine,” he added.
Psaki retweeted the video and wrote, "Just going to echo former President Trump here on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines."
Trump revealed on Sunday, during an appearance in Dallas with Bill O'Reilly, that he received a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine.
When the crowd reacted to Trump’s announcement with boos, the former President urged them not to do so.
On Tuesday, as President Joe Biden announced his plan to fight the Omicron variant of COVID-19, he mentioned the crucial role the Trump administration played in getting the vaccines produced and distributed.
Trump later told Fox News he is "very appreciative" and "surprised" that Biden thanked him and his administration.
"I'm very appreciative of that — I was surprised to hear it. I think it was a terrific thing, and I think it makes a lot of people happy," said Trump.