Sally Reed
The name Alex Jones is usually followed by strong reactions for or against his opinions. A similar thing can be said for former president Donald Trump. It takes an extraordinary situation for Alex Jones to be pissed off by something Trump said, but in this case, that’s exactly what happened. Let’s examine the situation.
It All Started With The State Of the Union Address
Jones’ problem came on the heels of a Trump post in response to Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, where the president mentioned that COVID vaccines were now used to treat cancer.
Trump was quick to respond, stating that the vaccines’ approval was due to his work as president, cutting down the approval time to nine months instead of twelve years.
Jones Takes Offence At The Statement
Jones was quick to accuse Trump of spreading misinformation, based on his post that he got the vaccines approved in a mere nine months. Jones calls the COVID-19 vaccine a biological weapon.
Yet, in the past, Jones and Trump got along quite well. At one point, Jones was a critical supporter of his campaign in his bid for president in 2016. That seems to have changed.
Jones Unleashes Some Unsavory Words
In response to Trump’s post, which he called “bulls***,” he reiterated his position on the vaccine being a biological weapon and that “they” were getting Trump to sell it.
As one of the foremost conspiracy fanatics on the internet today, this response is expected. However, Trump’s post rubbed a lot of others the wrong way too. His public opinion could suffer.
Potential Misstep in Messaging
One Twitter/X user said that whoever urged Trump to make the statement might be working against his best interests, as legitimizing the vaccine would alienate many of his current supporters.
The poster went on to make spurious claims about the vaccine causing the death of thousands of people. Scientific studies have proven that the vaccines decrease the mortality of infected patients.
Having The Wool Pulled Over His Eyes
Another Twitter/X commentator noted that Trump seems to have forgotten how he was deceived by the then Chief Medical Advisor to the Trump administration during the pandemic.
The poster contends that Trump was fooled into thinking he was doing something great when he was really doing something the established order wanted him to do. These commenters are not out of the ordinary for Trump’s core supporters.
Misinformation Informing Opinions
The messaging that seems to prevail as far as Trump supporters and Alex Jones fans is that the vaccine was deadlier than the pandemic. It underlines why Jones thinks it’s a biological weapon.
Yet study after study taken with substantial sample sizes and spanning several years, both within and outside of the pandemic, show no significant number of deaths of vaccinated patients.
Trump Administration Implemented Operation Warp Speed
The pandemic occurred during Trump’s presidency, and the death rate in the US was rising when he introduced Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the development of vaccines for COVID-19.
Sadly, because of how fast these vaccines were developed, many people refused to take them. Conservatives, in particular, saw the vaccine as a method of population control and avoided them.
Jones Advises Against Vaccination
In true conspiracy theorist fashion, Alex Jones advised his listeners against the COVID-19 vaccine, stating that it couldn’t be safe given how quickly it was developed.
Despite doctors and epidemiologists’ consensus that the vaccine was safe and effective, most people didn’t bother to take it. Jones and his supporters point to continued boosters as a sign that the vaccine wasn’t even effective.
Viral Evolution Happens All the Time
A vaccine for a virus doesn’t guarantee you’ll never get infected. Viruses mutate a lot, and that rapid mutation makes it necessary to get updated shots. That’s why there’s a new flu shot each year.
Similarly, as COVID-19 mutates, it’s no longer a world-threatening crisis; getting regular shots to ensure you don’t get it is crucial. The vaccines exist because of the Trump administration’s push to get them out the door as fast as possible.
Conservatives REALLY Hate the Vaccine
In December 2021, Trump stated that he had gotten the initial vaccine jab and a booster shot at a gathering in Houston, Texas. The crowd booed him for taking the vaccine since most of them didn’t.
Yet his approach to mask and vaccine mandates seems to be contrary to what he did. In a recent speech in South Carolina, Trump stated that he would refuse funding to any school that has either mandate.
The Death of Expertise
Part of the reason conservatives are up in arms against the vaccine is because they’ve been convinced by Jones and others like him that experts don’t know any better than the average person.
Yet experts exist to help the average person understand things they don’t have expertise in. Personalities like Jones have created a dangerous situation in which experts aren’t trusted.
It’s Still Dangerous To be Unvaccinated
A recent AP analysis of deaths due to COVID-19 in the US shows that 99.9% of all deaths due to the virus were from unvaccinated people. This isn’t enough for Jones and his supporters.
According to Jones, the 0.1% of deaths from “breakthrough” cases prove that the vaccine is ineffective in preventing death. Jones’s approach has always been to ignore statistics that don’t support his point of view.
Could This Impact the Trump Campaign Negatively?
At one point, one of Trump’s most ardent supporters was Alex Jones. His listeners supported Trump’s position on many things, and it seemed they agreed on many topics.
Highlighting Trump’s support of the vaccine and pride in pushing it through could hit the wrong chord with Jones’ listeners.
The Right To Choose
Trump’s statements in South Carolina show a strange change in how many people view the ex-president. While he has stated he is vaccinated, he also wants to uphold people’s right to choose whether they wish to be vaccinated.
This might be a sign of change, or it could just be another one of his ploys to get himself re-elected. If he’s depending on Alex Jones’ listeners for that, he may be disappointed.
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