Trump asks his supporters to get Covid vaccine, remains non-committal about political future
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Trump hoped Meghan Markle would run for president in 2024 to make his decision on whether to run for a second term much easier.
Former US president Donald Trump has encouraged his Republican supporters -- one of the main groups resistant to Covid-19 vaccines -- to get their shots.
This was Trump's most explicit endorsement for the national mass vaccination campaign since he left office in January. The former president has notably been a naysayer, and was rarely seen wearing masks while in office.
Trump also remained non-committal about seeking to recapture the presidency (in 2024) following his one term in office.
Trump spoke a day after the White House suggested he shouldn't be waiting for an "engraved invitation" to join the public campaign encouraging Americans to take Covid-19 vaccines.
"I would recommend it," Trump said during an interview on Fox News. "I would recommend it to a lot of people that don't want to get it and a lot of those people voted for me, frankly," he said.
"It's a great vaccine, it's a safe vaccine and it's something that works."
Polls show that Republican men, who are overwhelmingly supporters of Trump and his "Make America Great Again" or MAGA platform, are the leading vaccine skeptics.
And while all other living former presidents, including Democrat Barack Obama and Republican George W Bush, have delivered high profile public service announcements, Trump has largely been silent while the man who defeated him, President Joe Biden, masterminds the vaccine rollout.
When asked about his political future, Trump said, "Based on every poll, they want me to run again. But we're going to take a look and we'll see."
Trump hoped Meghan Markle would run for president in 2024 to make his decision on whether to run for a second term much easier.
Asked on Fox News about the Duchess meeting with Democrat operatives to consider entering politics, Trump said he was “not a fan”.
“Well I hope that happens because if that happened I think I’d have an even stronger feeling toward running,” Trump said.
“I’m not a fan of hers. I think that what she talks about the Royal family and the Queen, and I happen to think, I know the Queen as you know, I met with the Queen and I think the Queen is a tremendous person and I am not a fan of Meghan.”