Former President Donald Trump recently accused “left-wing lunatics” of exploiting concerns about new COVID-19 variants to reintroduce their favored policies, including the use of drop boxes and mail-in ballots from the 2020 election, with the intention of manipulating the 2024 election outcome.
“We will not comply with the fear-mongering that could be used to interfere in next year’s election,” Trump said.
He conveyed these sentiments in a video released on Aug. 30 on Truth Social. His message was a stern warning to every COVID-19 “tyrant” who aims to “take away our freedom” and those who seek to use COVID-19 restrictions to meddle in the upcoming election.
“The left-wing lunatics are trying very hard to bring back COVID lockdowns and mandates with all of their sudden fear-mongering about the new variants that are coming,” Trump said in the video.
Recent media reports have highlighted a new COVID-19 variant. President Joe Biden, last week, indicated that Americans might need another booster shot. Trump, in his video, emphasized that his political adversaries are keen to capitalize on COVID-19 “hysteria” for their political advantage.
“They want to restart the COVID hysteria so they can justify more lockdowns, more censorship, more illegal drop boxes, more mail-in ballots, and trillions of dollars in payoffs to their political allies heading into the 2024 election,” the former president said.
Asserting that the 2020 election was manipulated, he stated, “They rigged the 2020 election and now they’re trying to do the same thing all over again by rigging the most important election in the history of our country, the 2024 election, even if it means trying to bring back COVID.”
Trump has consistently held the belief that he was unjustly denied victory in 2020. This, he attributes to last-minute alterations to election regulations that, in his view, made fraudulent activities easier with mail-in ballots. Despite the numerous lawsuits he filed post-election, many were dismissed, often on technical grounds rather than on the merits of the case.
Several conservative commentators have noted the significant increase in COVID-19-related media coverage recently. They highlight the potential threat of renewed restrictions to civil liberties and the forthcoming election. Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, has suggested a conspiracy to reintroduce “COVIDian tyranny” in time for the election, potentially paving the way for a “Marxist-type revolution.” Former Congressman Ron Paul, in an op-ed, emphasized that the perceived threat of the new COVID-19 variant is being exaggerated in the media, conveniently timed for the election season.
“Last time around, they generated fear to radically change how America voted. Suddenly, everyone was mailed ballots. How closely were they checked? No one knew and no one dared ask. The people who did ask about the election are now facing jail terms,” Paul wrote.
Trump, addressing these concerns, delivered a resounding response. “Don’t even think about it,” he said, directing his comments to “every COVID tyrant who wants to take away our freedom.”
“Hear these words: We will not comply!” the former president continued. “We will not shut down our schools, we will not accept your lockdowns, we will not abide by your mask mandates, and we will not tolerate your vaccine mandates.”
He further pledged that, if elected in 2024, he would utilize every authority at his disposal to counter mask and vaccine mandates. As an example, he mentioned the possibility of withholding federal funding from any college or airline that enforces such mandates.
“They will fail because I will not let it happen,” the former president said.
Amid these remarks, COVID-19 hospitalizations have been increasing nationwide, with three new disease variants reportedly spreading. Pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer, Novavax and Moderna have introduced vaccines they claim will be effective against the COVID-19 variant EG.5, or Eris. However, these vaccines do not prevent transmission. President Biden, on Aug. 25 in South Lake Tahoe, California, announced his request for additional funding for a new COVID vaccine.
“I signed off this morning on a proposal we have to present to the Congress, a request for additional funding for a new vaccine — that is necessary, that works,” Biden said.
“And tentatively, not decided finally yet, tentatively it is recommended — it is likely to be recommended — that everybody get it, no matter whether they got it before,” he added.
Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have informed reporters that these vaccines might be available to the public by mid-September. However, they await approval from the Food and Drug Administration. An independent CDC advisory committee plans to convene on Sept. 12 to finalize guidelines for the new COVID-19 vaccine’s eligibility.
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