The US has never been as divided as it is today, as is evident from the violence that permeates any and almost every demonstration, from California all the way to Washington, D.C.
Political polarization has become part of people’s daily lives: If you are not with us, you are against us. Fed by politicians and the media on both sides, Republican and Democrat, Americans are divided over racism, gender identity, education, even their own flag.
While the world is still struggling with the coronavirus, its different variants, and vaccine shortages, a new conflict has begun between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated.
The politicization of the pandemic has had a huge impact on how people view vaccines, and how much they trust their government when it comes to important health issues.
The Biden administration has been working relentlessly to increase the number of vaccinated people, but ayear ago the majority of Democratic politicians were skeptical about a vaccine developed during the Trump era. “We are delivering lifesaving therapies. And we’ll produce a vaccine before the end of the year, or maybe even sooner,” Donald Trump said on the White House lawn in August 2020. When he said the US could havea safe and effective vaccine before the Nov. 3 presidential election, Trump was accused of using the struggle of the American people for political gain.
Although he was briefed by experts on the development of a vaccine for COVID-19, presidential candidate Joe Biden downplayed the importance of this announcement. “Let me be clear. I trust vaccines. I trust scientists. But I don’t trust Donald Trump. And at this moment, the American people can’t either,” he said.
Biden’s running mate Kamala Harris echoed his talking points when she appeared on CNN in September 2020 and said she would not take Trump’s word. “I would not trust Donald Trump, and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of whatever he’s talking about,” Harris said, linking the vaccine with the presidential election.
Before the election, the Democrats were worried that if a vaccine were developed before November, it would be a huge boost for the Republicans.
Trump did not help himself or his supporters by continually downplaying the danger of this lethal virus, even after he was infected himself. Ill-advised, he constantly implied that wearing a mask was a sign of weakness, as his supporters showed during his campaign rallies.
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