Say What? Mitch McConnell Says He’s “Perplexed” Over Republican Vaccine Hesitancy

COVID-19 was ne'er meant to beryllium partisan issue. Unfortunately, the pandemic deed portion Donald Trump was inactive successful office. And fearing that the fallout could impact his reelection chances, Trump chose to politicize the issue.

Joining the erstwhile president successful pushing COVID disinfo were cablegram networks similar Fox, Newsmax and OAN. In addition, politicians similar Rand Paul, Marjorie Ron Johnson and Madison Crawthorn person made is truthful their constituents were little apt to get inoculated.

When Mitch McConnell was asked astir vaccine hesitancy among Republicans connected Thursday, helium acted surprised. He told reporters, “I’m perplexed by the reluctance of immoderate to get vaccinated, wholly perplexed.”

It’s not hard to see, though, wherefore Republicans whitethorn beryllium confused astir the inoculation. Rand Paul, the different legislator from McConnell’s location authorities of Kentucky, has been a large pusher of COVID disinformation. Paul, who contracted COVID aboriginal successful the pandemic, has said that helium volition not beryllium vaccinated.

This wasn’t the lone quality the legislature number person made connected Thursday. He besides talked astir checking Joe Biden successful 2022. McConnell told reporters, “What I privation you to cognize is if I go the bulk person again it’s not for stopping everything. It’s for stopping the worst. It’s for stopping things that fundamentally propulsion the state into a absorption that astatine slightest my enactment feels is not a bully thought for the country. And I could marque definite Biden makes his committedness … to beryllium a moderate.”