Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy fielded a tricky question on Thursday from Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a medical doctor: Does President Trump deserve a Nobel Peace Prize for Operation Warp Speed, the US campaign to roll out vaccines during the pandemic? "Absolutely," responded Kennedy, reports the Washington Post. As Sheryl Gay Stolberg observes for the New York Times, "Kennedy is caught between his own criticism of Covid vaccines—he once called them 'a crime against humanity'—and Trump's stewardship" of the program to fast-track them to the masses.
In his answer, Kennedy said "the reason that Operation Warp Speed was genius" was because it got vaccines that "perfectly matched the virus at that time" to people, and was "badly needed," per CBS News. Kennedy said his main problem with the government's COVID response were mandates put in place by President Biden. As Axios notes, the issue of a vaccine-related Nobel has taken a turn in recent days.
First, Trump demanded that vaccine companies "justify the success of their various COVID Drugs" in a Truth Social post. "Many people think they are a miracle that saved Millions of lives. Others disagree! With CDC being ripped apart over this question, I want the answer, and I want it NOW." On Wednesday, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla not only defended the vaccines but endorsed Trump for his role in a "profound public health achievement." He added: "Such an accomplishment would typically be worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize, given its significant impact." Earlier in Thursday's hearing, Kennedy was accused of endangering children's lives with his vaccine views.
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