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Former President Donald Trump hosted a rally in Alabama on Saturday night, August 21. Things took an unexpected turn when he encouraged the crowd to get the COVID-19 vaccine and he was met with a mixture of boos and confused reactions in response. He then told a joke and the crowd laughed and applauded. You can see the moment in the videos below.
Trump Was Met with Mixed Reactions When He Advised His Supporters to Get the Vaccine
During his rally in Cullman, Alabama, Trump advised his audience to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The applause he was receiving fell quiet as he was met with a combination of boos and other mixed reactions. Noticing the response, he acknowledged it and then moved on to tell a joke, which was met with laughter and applause.
You can see the moment in a clip from YouTube below or at this link, starting around 25 seconds into the video. Before he advised his crowd to take the vaccine, he reminded them that three vaccines were made under his administration in almost nine months.
Trump said: “You know what? I believe totally in your freedoms, I do. You have to do what you have to do. But, I recommend take the vaccines, I did it, it’s good. Take the vaccines. But…”
He paused and some people in the crowd could be heard booing and giving a mixed response. In response to the mixed reactions, he acknowledged them as he continued in his speech.
A crowd in mid-cheer immediately goes silent and starts jeering Trump when he says that he recommends people take the vaccine.
“You got… No, that’s OK. That’s all right. You got your freedoms. But I happen to take the vaccine. If it doesn’t work, you’ll be the first to know, OK?” he said.
The crowd laughed in response to that comment, and Trump continued with his speech.
This next video below, taken from a crowd angle by Ryan Phillips of Tuscaloosa Patch, briefly shows the booing and mixed reactions at the very beginning of the clip, before Trump responded to the crowd.
Trump on coronavirus vaccine: “I happen to take the vaccine, and if it doesn’t work, you’ll be the first to know” … he was expectedly met with mixed reactions from a crowd confused and taken off guard by the revelation. #CullmanTrumpRally
Phillips wrote about the moment: “He was expectedly met with mixed reactions from a crowd confused and taken off guard by the revelation.”
An estimated 20,000 to 40,000 people attended the rally. Dr. William Smith, chief medical officer at Cullman Regional, said he was concerned the event to be a superspreader event, just as he was concerned about the previous weekend’s “Rock the South” event, The Guardian reported.
Face masks were not required, although they were made available at the rally, WVTM13 reported.
Mo Brooks Was Booed for Telling the Crowd to Put the Election Behind Them
At the same rally, Rep. Mo Brooks was boosed when he was introducing Trump and told the crowd that the election wasn’t stolen, Business Insider reported.
Brooks told the crowd: “Now, our choices are very simple. There are some people who are despondent about the voter fraud and election theft in 2020. Folks, put that behind you. Put that behind you.”
Oh boy. Mo Brooks suggested, in seriousness, that those in attendance should accept the results of the 2020 election and move on to the next one
… needless to say it did not go well and he nearly lost the crowd 😮
He was greeted with shouts of “no!” and boos, to which he responded: “All right, well look back at it, but go forward and take advantage of it!”
He then encouraged them to focus on winning in 2024, but the crowd was still shouting at him. The boos directed at Brooks sounded much louder than the reaction Trump received later to his vaccine comment. Brooks is running for a Senate seat in 2022.
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