Trump pushes back on Candace Owens: 'People aren't dying when they take the vaccine'

Former President Trump in an interview with conservative media personality Candace Owens pushed back over her claims undermining the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.

In a Tuesday episode of the Daily Wire show "Candace," Trump told Owens that he takes credit for the "incredible speed" of how the vaccines were developed during his time in office and his partnership with private pharmaceutical companies.

"I came up with a vaccine, with three vaccines," Trump told Owens. "All are very, very good. Came up with three of them in less than nine months. It was supposed to take five to 12 years."

Owens then said to Trump that more people died from the virus in 2021 than in 2020 even with the vaccine being administered to the public, taking a shot at President Biden.

"Yet more people have died under COVID this year," Owens told Trump. "By the way, under Joe Biden, than under you and more people took the vaccine this year. So people are questioning how-"

"Oh no, the vaccines work, but some people aren't the ones. The ones who get very sick and go to the hospital are the ones that don't take the vaccine. But it's still their choice. And if you take the vaccine, you're protected," Trump told Owens.

"Look, the results of the vaccine are very good, and if you do get it, it's a very minor form," Trump continued. "People aren't dying when they take the vaccine."

Trump recently said during a sit-down interview with former Fox News host Bill O'Reilly that he has received his COVID-19 vaccine booster shot.

The former president went on to tell Owens that despite the inoculations working, he is against vaccine and mask mandates, saying that "people have to have their freedom."

The U.S. is currently dealing with a winter surge of COVID-19 infections as the omicron variant has taken hold across the nation.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Thursday retweeted a clip of the interview.

"Just going to echo former President Trump here on the safety and efficacy of the vaccines," Psaki said in a tweet. "Merry Christmas eve eve. go get boosted."

Speaking to media on Wednesday, Psaki said President Biden acknowledged that Trump sent an "important signal to many Americans about the importance of getting boosted."

Updated at 12:23 p.m.