Biden says 'local preachers' better than Trump for convincing ‘MAGA folks’ to take COVID-19 vaccine

President Biden argued Monday that “local preachers” and other community leaders will be more influential than former President Donald Trump in efforts to convince skeptics to take COVID-19 vaccines amid a nationwide inoculation drive.

"I discussed it with my team and they say the thing that has more impact than anything Trump would say to the ‘MAGA folks’ is what the local doctor, what the local preacher, what the local people in the community say," Biden said. "So I urge all local docs and ministers and priests to talk about why, why it’s important to get that vaccine and even after that, until everyone is, in fact, vaccinated, to wear this mask." The Biden administration set a goal of administering 100 million vaccine shots within the president’s first 100 days in office. As of Monday, more than 92 million doses were administered, according to CDC data. Biden’s remarks on Trump’s potential involvement in outreach efforts came days after Dr. Anthony Fauci publicly appealed to the former president to urge his supporters to get vaccinated. A recent PBS NewsHour/NPR/Marist poll found 41% of Republicans did not plan to get vaccinated.