(Photo : Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
CULLMAN, ALABAMA - AUGUST 21: Former U.S. President Donald Trump addresses supporters during a "Save America" rally at York Family Farms on August 21, 2021 in Cullman, Alabama. With the number of coronavirus cases rising rapidly and no more ICU beds available in Alabama, the host city of Cullman declared a COVID-19-related state of emergency two days before the Trump rally. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, 67.5% of the state's population has not been fully vaccinated.
Former United States President Donald Trump got booed by supporters after he told them that he recommended getting the vaccine against the coronavirus pandemic while delivering his speech at a Saturday rally in Alabama.
During his speech, Trump said that while he believed and respected everyone's freedom regarding their decision not to take the vaccines, he recommended the treatment. He said that he took the vaccines and that they were good.
Trump Gets Booed
Some people in the crowd immediately began booing the former president, the majority of whom were not wearing face masks. Despite the negative comments, Trump echoed rhetoric from opponents of mask and vaccine mandates. He also said that if he got infected by the coronavirus, he would let the people know immediately.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been surging in the southern parts of the United States, causing more hospitalizations, mainly due to the Delta variant. Trump hosted the rally in Cullman, which is an area that has experienced a surge in cases, matching its previous peak recorded in late December. City officials declared a COVID state of emergency on Thursday to provide emergency support for Republican's rally, CNBC reported.
Alabama is known to have the lowest vaccination rate in the United States, having only 36% of its residents fully vaccinated against the disease. State Governor Kay Ivey has called the people who refused to take the treatment the sources of the resurgence of the infection in the region.
More and more Republicans have slowly started to encourage residents to get vaccinated against the coronavirus as the Delta variant continues to spread. The new strain has caused a surge in the number of cases, deaths, and hospitalizations during a new phase of the health crisis.
In late July, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said, "These shots need to get in everybody's arms as rapidly as possible, or we're going to be back in a situation in the fall that we don't yearn for, that we went through last year. Ignore all of these other voices that are giving demonstrably bad advice," Newsweek reported.
Complete Turnaround of Perspective
The announcements are a drastic turnaround from the anti-COVID-19 lockdowns, masks, and vaccine perspectives that the Republican Party has been a part of for some time. Skepticism was rampant among GOP lawmakers before the Delta variant spread, which now accounts for about 95% of all cases in the United States.
During his speech, Trump also criticized Joe Biden for his handling of the Afghanistan situation where hundreds and up to thousands of residents are in chaos due to the Taliban rule. He said that the Democrat's actions and decisions have led to the haphazard evacuation of American troops and allies from Afghanistan.
Trump added that the situation has become a "great stain on the reputation of our country." The statements come after a year when the Republican politician stuck a deal with the Taliban to withdraw all U.S. troops in Afghanistan by May 2021. Trump's presidency watched the dwindling of American forces in the war-torn country drop to their lowest levels in history, Fox News reported.
Related Article: Biden Says US Troops to Remain in Afghanistan Until Evacuations are Completed
