President Joe Biden's name-checking of former President Donald Trump receiving his COVID-19 booster shot was a nod to his predecessor's hold on his base, according to the White House.
"It was an acknowledgment that the former president sent an important signal to many Americans about the importance of getting boosted," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday.
But the White House cannot "assess what that will mean, or how people will digest that, or if it will change their behavior if they were opposed to getting boosted or opposed to getting vaccinated," Psaki added.
"We certainly hope so," she said.
For Psaki, Biden's speech also reflected the president's belief "that the enemy of the American people is the virus and this shouldn't be a political battle."
"It doesn't mean we are not going to call out misinformation, or steps or actions that are being taken by any leader that we feel are detrimental to the health and well-being of communities around the country," she said. "But we can also call out actions that we think are positive and send a good message to people who may not be waiting for President Biden to tell them what to do."
Biden, who rolled up his sleeve for a COVID-19 booster shot in September, referenced Trump telling Bill O'Reilly he had gotten another jab during a White House address about the pandemic amid an omicron variant-driven case surge.
"It may be one of the few things he and I agree on," Biden said.
He went on to criticize "cable TV and social media" for pushing "dangerous misinformation."
"These companies and personalities are making money by peddling lies and allowing misinformation that can kill their own customers and their own supporters," the president said. "It’s wrong, it’s immoral, and I call on the purveyors of these lies and misinformation to stop it. Stop it now."
Trump's booster shot revelation last Sunday was met with boos from the crowd gathered in Dallas for the final installment of he and O'Reilly's live "The History Tour" interview show.
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“Don't! Don't! Don't! Don't! Don't!” Trump said in response.