WH is 'grateful' for Trump’s comments on COVID-19 vaccines and boosters

At the White House briefing Thursday, press secretary Jen Psaki said it’s “a good thing” that former President Donald Trump has spoken publicly about the efficacy of vaccines and boosters in fighting COVID-19.

Video Transcript

- And lastly, you guys have been sharing former President Trump's message recently on boosters. And I'm wondering, given the former president's apparent change in tune on this issue over the last week, has there been any renewed contact between President Biden and the former President or your teams?

JEN PSAKI: No, but 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. 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.

Go ahead.

- With the former President defending the vaccines, Tuesday, President Biden mentioned that one of the only things that he actually agrees with Trump on. Would the White House consider a partnership with the former President to get some of those folks that are vaccine-hesitant to actually get the jab?

JEN PSAKI: I don't know that we think it requires a partnership. I think we believe that the former President being out there and stating what is factually accurate about the efficacy of vaccines, of getting boosted, which he recently did, of course, is a good thing, right? And it's a good thing to have a range of voices out there, Democrats, Republicans, independents, celebrities, non-celebrities, whomever people will be listening to out in the country.

We continue to believe that the most effective voices are local voices, local people. That's who everybody listens to, people in their community, your neighbor, your friend, your cousin, your pediatrician. But certainly, we would applaud, and have, the former president's comments.