Mitch McConnell Confronted By Reporters About Anti-Vax Republicans: ‘That’s Where This Hesitancy Is Coming From’
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Tuesday he’s “perplexed” by the difficulty the United States is having in getting more people vaccinated.
During Senate Republican press conference, one reporter asked McConnell if he has a message to “conservative commentators and some Republicans who have been raising questions about the vaccine and its efficacy.”
McConnell has been particularly vocal encouraging more people to get the shot, and reiterated that as a polio survivor, he is a strong advocate of vaccinations.
He brought up the success of Operation Warp Speed and said, “I’m perplexed by the difficulty we have in finishing the job… We need to keep preaching that getting the vaccine is important.”
MCCONNELL: I’m perplexed by the difficulty we have in finishing the job…we need to keep preaching getting the vaccine is important…
REPORTER: It isn’t all that perplexing. There are Republicans who are casting doubt on the vaccines…
MCCONNELL: I can only speak for myself. pic.twitter.com/Oq51pbfUMe
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) July 13, 2021
Senator Roy Blunt echoed McConnell’s remarks and said the U.S. is at a “critical moment” to stop the virus from spreading, particularly given the more transmissible Delta variant.
Another reporter followed up by saying to McConnell, “Respectfully, though, it isn’t all that perplexing. There are Republicans who are casting doubt on the vaccine, Senator [Ron] Johnson hosting an event spotlighting the rare side effects. That’s where this hesitancy is coming from, from members of your own party casting doubt on vaccines.”
Asked about his conversations with colleagues like Johnson, McConnell just said, “I’ve already answered the question about how I feel about this, I can only speak for myself.”
There have been a number of Republicans and conservative commentators fear-mongering about the vaccines. At CPAC this past weekend, the audience applauded when Alex Berenson talked up the government not meeting its vaccination goals.
