‘He Should’ve Been Saying This for a Long Time’: Wolf Blitzer Praises Trump’s Pro-Vax Comments, But Says They Should’ve Come Sooner

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer lauded former President Donald Trump Thursday for endorsing the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines, but opined that had his remarks come sooner, lives could have been saved.

Filling in for Jake Tapper on The Lead, Blitzer welcomed guests Kirsten Powers and former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) for a discussion about Trump’s recent multiple comments touting vaccines as the Omicron variant spreads and Covid cases spike nationwide.

“I want to turn to the former president who has now several times over the course of the last few days spoken out publicly about the pandemic,” Blitzer told his CNN guests. “I want to you listen to what Donald Trump is saying right now. Listen to this.”

Blitzer aired a clip of Trump’s recent interview with conservative commentator Candace Owens, who is vehemently opposed to vaccine mandates, and has been clear she is also against the vaccines in any capacity for herself.

“The ones who get very sick and go to the hospital are the ones that don’t take the vaccine. But it’s still their choice. And if you take the vaccine, you’re protected,” Trump told Owens at point point in the interview. “People aren’t dying when they take the vaccine.”

“This is very important, he should have been saying this for months and months and months, a lot of people probably would be alive right now if he would have publicly done a PSA, done some sort of public statements making exactly that point,” Blitzer said, before asking Powers for her thoughts.

“Well, yes, of course it would have been much better if he would have done it sooner, but it’s still good that he’s doing it now,” Powers said. “And this is the second time he’s done this. He did this in an event with Bill O’Reilly where Bill O’Reilly was also saying that he had been vaccinated and Donald Trump pushed back at the audience when there was some booing.”

“He should have been saying this for a long time. I give him credit for saying it now,” Blitzer commented before asking Kasich, a longtime Trump opponent, for his reaction.

“I would label it better, though, better late than never, as the old saying goes, Wolf,” Kasich said as he congratulated the former president over the success of Operation Warp Speed. “Look, I mean, he developed those vaccines, he spent the money. You’ve got to give him credit for that. And to his credit, Biden did. Biden did give him credit for the development of that and it’s making a huge difference.”

Blitzer concluded, “I hope he keeps on saying. It will save lives among his own supporters.”

Watch above, via CNN.