WATCH: Biden Pulls Out All the Stops in Hail Mary Plea to the Unvaccinated, Including Cash Rewards, Mandate Threats and Even Veiled Credit to Trump
Amid surges in coronavirus cases and misinformation about the virus nationwide, President Joe Biden issued what he called “straight talk” on Thursday, calling on Americans to get vaccinated, announcing new pushes for both incentives and restrictions.
In a speech from the White House, Biden cited the Delta variant as the cause of increasing cases and warned, “Our experts tell me that cases will go up further before they start to come back down. But while cases are on the rise…we’re not likely to see, according to the experts, a comparable rise in hospitalizations or deaths in most areas of the country.”
Biden emphasized that the vaccines are safe and effective. He mentioned that more than 325 vaccinations have been administered in the United States. However, he said there is no need for a booster shot at this time.
Nonetheless, warned the president, “We have the tools to prevent this new wave of Covid, from shutting down our businesses and our schools, our society as we saw happen last year. I’ve said from the beginning, that we will be guided by the science.”
This week, some states, including California, have instituted varying new mask mandates, while some states, including Florida, have not. The CDC on Wednesday announced new guidance that vaccinated and unvaccinated people should wear masks indoors.
Biden remarked that the unvaccinated can spread the virus. “They get sick and fill up our hospitals,” he said. “That means if someone else has a heart attack or breaks a hip, they may not be a hospital bed for them.”
During his 27-minute speech, Biden announced that all federal employees and onsite contractors will be required to get vaccinated or wear a mask and get tested one or two times weekly. The president called on states and territories to offer $100 in incentives for newly vaccinated Americans. The president also directed the Department of Defense to study how and when the coronavirus vaccine can be added to the list of vaccines required for all military members.
“We all want our lives to get back to normal, and fully vaccinated workplaces will make that happen more quickly and more successfully,” said Biden. “We all know that in our gut. With incentives and mandates, we can make a huge difference and save a lot of lives.”
Biden even gave some veiled credit to former President Donald Trump for the Covid-19 vaccine, in an apparent effort to reach his supporters.
“The vaccine was developed and authorized under Republican administration and has been distributed and administered under a democratic administration,” Biden said.
Watch the speech above, via MSNBC.
