Chloe Ramirez
During a CNN town hall in February 2021, President Biden claimed that we didn't have a vaccine for COVID-19 when he took office. This statement sparked controversy, with critics arguing that Biden was referring to the absence of a vaccine, while supporters interpreted it as a comment on the lack of available doses and a broader distribution strategy. The context of Biden's statement suggests that he was highlighting the challenges of vaccine distribution and administration, rather than denying the existence of a COVID-19 vaccine. This interpretation is supported by the fact that Biden himself received the vaccine before taking office, and millions of doses were being distributed daily when he assumed the presidency.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of claim | February 16, 2021 |
| Date of fact check | February 17, 2021 |
| Claim | "We didn't have a vaccine when we came into office" |
| Full quote | "It's one thing to have the vaccine, which we didn't have when we came into office, but a vaccinator, how do you get the vaccine into someone's arm? You need the needle, you need the mechanisms to be able to get it in." |
| Fact check verdict | False |
| Fact check justification | Biden was claiming there was no supply of the vaccine in storage awaiting distribution, not that the vaccine didn't exist. |
| Number of doses available when Biden took office | 50 million |
| Number of doses distributed by the end of January | 50 million |
| Number of doses administered daily when Biden took office | 1 million |
| Biden administration's initial target for daily vaccine administration | 1 million |
| Number of doses administered daily by the time of the fact check | 1.7 million |
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What You'll Learn
- Biden's claim that there was no COVID-19 vaccine when he took office
- Biden's administration's narrative that they inherited a mess from the Trump administration
- Kamala Harris' claim that there was no vaccine distribution plan from the Trump administration
- Biden's claim that there was no supply of the vaccine in storage
- Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki blaming the Trump administration for problems with vaccine distribution
Biden's claim that there was no COVID-19 vaccine when he took office
During a CNN town hall event with Anderson Cooper in February 2021, President Joe Biden claimed that "we didn't have a vaccine" for COVID-19 when he took office on January 20. The full context of his statement was:
> "It's one thing to have the vaccine, which we didn't have when we came into office, but a vaccinator, how do you get the vaccine into someone's arm? You need the needle, and you need the mechanisms to be able to get it in. You have to have someone who can inject it into someone's arms."
Biden's statement was met with criticism from conservatives, who pointed out that the Trump administration had initiated a vaccination program before Biden took office, and that Biden himself had received two doses of the vaccine before his inauguration.
However, some sources argue that Biden's statement was taken out of context and misinterpreted. They claim that Biden was referring to the lack of a federal distribution strategy and the need for vaccinators, rather than the literal existence of the vaccine. Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki, also blamed the Trump administration for leaving the new administration with a flawed vaccine distribution plan, stating that the situation was "much worse than we could have imagined."
In conclusion, while Biden's statement that "we didn't have a vaccine" when he took office is factually inaccurate, it appears to be a verbal gaffe or an attempt to emphasize the challenges his administration faced with vaccine distribution rather than a denial of the vaccine's existence.
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Biden's administration's narrative that they inherited a mess from the Trump administration
During a CNN town hall meeting with Anderson Cooper, President Joe Biden claimed that "we didn't have a vaccine" when he took office. This statement was quickly criticised by conservatives, including former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who pointed out that millions of vaccines were being distributed per day when Biden assumed office, and that President Trump had facilitated the fastest vaccine development for a novel pathogen in history. Biden's comment has been labelled a "gaffe" and a "lie" by some. However, others have interpreted his statement as referring to a lack of supply of the vaccine in storage, rather than the vaccine's nonexistence.
Indeed, the Biden administration has been accused of attempting to create a narrative that they inherited a mess from the Trump administration, particularly regarding vaccine distribution. Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki, claimed that the issues they faced were "much worse than we could have imagined" and that the vaccine distribution plan left by Trump was inadequate. Kamala Harris has also repeatedly asserted that there was no vaccine distribution plan or stockpile of vaccines from the previous administration.
Beyond vaccine distribution, the Biden-Harris administration has been criticised for its handling of various other issues, including foreign policy, military recruitment, border security, and economic policies. Critics argue that the current administration's focus on "woke" diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives has negatively impacted military recruitment and border security. Additionally, the Biden administration has been blamed for record-high inflation, contributing to the rising cost of living for Americans.
In contrast, supporters of the Biden-Harris administration defend its policies and attribute any negative consequences to the actions of the previous Trump administration. They argue that Biden inherited a challenging situation due to Trump's policies and that the current administration is working to address these issues. For example, Biden has emphasised job creation, claiming that his administration has facilitated record job growth during the post-pandemic recovery.
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Kamala Harris' claim that there was no vaccine distribution plan from the Trump administration
During a CNN town hall with Anderson Cooper, Joe Biden claimed that "we didn't have a vaccine" when he took office. Biden's exact words were:
> It's one thing to have the vaccine, which we didn't have when we came into office. But a vaccinator, how do you get the vaccine into someone's arm? You need the needle, and you need mechanisms to be able to get it in.
However, this statement is misleading, as Biden received two doses of the vaccine before taking office, and 15.6 million people had already been vaccinated by the time he was sworn in. Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki, also blamed the Trump administration for the problems they faced, claiming that the vaccine distribution was "much worse than we could have imagined."
Kamala Harris, the Vice President, has also repeatedly claimed that there was no vaccine distribution plan provided by the Trump administration. She told Mike Allen of Axios that there was "no national strategy or plan for vaccinations, we were leaving it to the states and local leaders to try and figure it out." Harris's comments were contradicted by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who said that there was some activity going on in distribution under the previous administration.
Some sources claim that Harris was manipulating the press and trying to shift the blame from Biden's slow vaccine distribution. Axios deleted a tweet that pointed out the contradiction between Harris's claims and Fauci's statements, raising suspicions. However, others have defended Harris, arguing that she was correct in her assessment of the Trump administration's response to the pandemic.
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Biden's claim that there was no supply of the vaccine in storage
During a CNN town hall event on 16 February 2021, President Biden claimed that his administration came into office with no coronavirus vaccines available. He said:
> It's one thing to have the vaccine, which we didn't have when we came into office, but a vaccinator, how do you get the vaccine into someone's arm? You need the needle, and you need mechanisms to be able to get it in.
Biden's statement was in reference to the supply backlog and the lack of a distribution plan for the vaccines. He clarified that there were no vaccines in storage awaiting distribution, not that the vaccine didn't exist. Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki, also blamed the Trump administration for the problems, claiming that the vaccine distribution plan was "much worse than we could have imagined".
However, Biden's claim has been criticised by conservatives and fact-checkers, who argue that it was a lie or a gaffe. They highlight that Biden received his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on 21 December 2020, before taking office, and that millions of vaccine doses were being distributed per day when he assumed office. Additionally, Vice President Kamala Harris's statement that the Biden administration was "starting from scratch" on vaccine production was contradicted by Dr Fauci, who stated that there was ongoing activity in distribution.
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Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki blaming the Trump administration for problems with vaccine distribution
During a CNN town hall with Anderson Cooper, President Joe Biden claimed that "we didn't have a vaccine" when he took office. His exact words were:
> "It's one thing to have the vaccine, which we didn't have when we came into office. But a vaccinator, how do you get the vaccine into someone's arm? You need the needle, and you need the mechanisms to be able to get it in."
This statement caused an uproar, with many conservatives, including former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, disputing Biden's claim. They argued that the Trump administration had, in fact, developed and distributed vaccines before Biden took office.
In response to the backlash, Biden's press secretary, Jen Psaki, defended the administration. She blamed the Trump administration for the problems they faced with vaccine distribution, claiming that the issues were inherited and were "much worse than we could have imagined." Biden himself also asserted that the vaccine distribution they inherited was "in worse shape than we anticipated or expected."
These statements by Psaki and Biden reflect a concerted effort by the Biden administration to portray themselves as COVID-19 saviors, navigating a challenging situation left by their predecessors. However, critics argue that this narrative discounts the achievements of the Trump administration's Operation Warp Speed, which produced multiple effective vaccines at an unprecedented pace.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, during a CNN town hall on February 16, 2021, President Biden claimed that "we didn't have a vaccine" for COVID-19 when he took office.
Biden's full statement was: "It's one thing to have the vaccine, which we didn't have when we came into office, but a vaccinator, how do you get the vaccine into someone's arm? You need the needle, and you need mechanisms to be able to get it in." He was discussing the issue of vaccine supply and distribution, not the existence of the vaccine.
Biden's statement faced criticism from conservatives and some media outlets, who called it a "lie" and a "gaffe." They argued that the Trump administration had developed and distributed vaccines before Biden took office.
No, the Biden administration did not develop any COVID-19 vaccines. However, they worked with pharmaceutical companies to increase vaccine production and set a target of administering 1 million vaccine doses per day.
Yes, Biden received his first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on December 21, 2020, and the second dose in January 2021, before assuming office.
