Some Republicans still cautious on backing vaccines despite Trump endorsement: ‘It shouldn’t be a witch hunt’

Despite former President Donald Trump pushing his supporters this week to get vaccinated against Covid-19, some congressional Republicans and prominent conservatives have jumbled that messaging with seemingly political takes on the importance of individual liberties. 

As new polling showed nearly 47 per cent of the former president’s supporters would not get the coronavirus vaccine if they were eligible, Mr Trump joined Fox News on Tuesday night for an interview in which he said he “would recommend [the vaccine] to a lot of people that don’t want to get it” and added: “a lot of those people voted for me, frankly”.

“We have our freedoms, and we have to live by that. And I agree with that also,” he continued. “But it’s a great vaccine. It’s a safe vaccine. And it’s something that works.”

The former president’s comments appeared in stark contrast to those made by conservative lawmakers in recent weeks, including some of his own supporters in the House – reflecting a potential divide within the party over the issue of vaccine hesitancy, as shots become readily available nationwide. 

While Mr Trump was joining growing calls to encourage vaccine-hesitant communities to get their shots, some GOP members in Congress seemingly began to stress their own narrative about vaccinations.

For example, Rep. Andy Biggs (R—AZ) recently said vaccinations were not “an important part” of reopening the country, while stressing the need for personal freedoms.

“If ... former President Trump believes that that’s the case, and he’s made that statement,” he said. “And that’s up to the individual. As long as we still live in a free country, then we can make those individual decisions.”

Rep. Tim Burchett (R—TN) suggested in an interview with The Hill that efforts to encourage mass inoculations against the virus were unnecessary, instead saying the decision to get vaccinated was a personal one. 

“It’s the individual’s choice, whatever they want to do,” he said. “And if they want to do it, it’s their business; if they don’t, it’s their business ... It shouldn’t be a witch hunt.”

The argument over personal liberties was seemingly moot, since there are no Republicans or Democrats in any chamber leading efforts to make vaccinations a mandatory part of reopening. 

There have been no calls to enforce or somehow legalize mandatory inoculations against Covid-19. And yet, some conservatives have made it appear as though efforts to encourage nationwide vaccinations were somehow out-of-step with support for choice and personal freedoms. 

At least four Republican senators have chosen not to get vaccinated, including Senator Rand Paul (R—KY), who has frequently promoted false and misleading information about so-called “herd immunity” and the Covid-19 pandemic. 

And yet Republican leadership has meanwhile urged Democrats to resume normal operations in the House, with Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy writing a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi requesting an end to public health recommendations at the Capitol. 

In a response to Republican requests, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told GOP leadership: “If you would urge your members to get it and we can assert that all members have taken it, it would facilitate us getting back to some degree of normalcy. We want to get back there as quickly as possible.”