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The Trump administration has touted vaccine development as a major accomplishment in its covid-19 response. Let's review what "credit" the Trump administration deserves (and does not deserve) for getting us to this point. THREAD
Trump has repeatedly credited Operation Warp Speed with providing the resources to bring a vaccine to the population quickly. But Pfizer, which will receive the first approval today, has distanced itself from Warp Speed and did NOT take govt funds. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-09/pfizer-vaccine-s-funding-came-from-berlin-not-washington
Pfizer did receive a supply contract for its vaccines, but that contract has the narrowest protections for taxpayers of any govt contract released so far. It doesn't protect against price gouging and may set a dangerous precedent for future govt contracts. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/11/24/938591815/pfizers-coronavirus-vaccine-supply-contract-excludes-many-taxpayer-protections
Worse, the Trump administration DECLINED to reserve additional doses of the vaccine - a big mistake now that it's too late. Pfizer has already contracted with other countries for all of the vaccine doses it can produce, leaving Americans last in line. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/08/trump-pfizer-vaccine-coronavirus
And then there's the Defense Production Act -- remember that? The Trump administration failed to make full use of its authorities to manufacture PPE, but it ALSO failed to leverage those authorities to increase domestic vaccine production capacity when it had the chance. 
Having failed to do use the DPA to ramp up capacity when it would have been useful, just yesterday Trump threatened to use the DPA now! Ramping up manufacturing capacity is something that needed to happen MONTHS ago, so this is an empty threat. https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-vaccines-trump/while-seeking-credit-for-vaccine-trump-says-he-may-invoke-defense-production-act-idUSKBN28I2UR
Oh, and remember how Trump kneecapped the U.S. postal service to serve his political interests? Well, we are now going to need to rely on that weakened, hollowed out postal service for live saving vaccine distribution. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/08/13/trump-usps-postal-service-post-office-history-395024
So, to recap:
1. The first vaccine to market is from Pfizer, which did NOT accept Operation Warp Speed money to develop, test or expand manufacturing capacity.
2. Trump PASSED on additional doses America could have had, which are no longer available (big mistake. HUGE.)
1. The first vaccine to market is from Pfizer, which did NOT accept Operation Warp Speed money to develop, test or expand manufacturing capacity.
2. Trump PASSED on additional doses America could have had, which are no longer available (big mistake. HUGE.)
3. Trump failed to use his full authorities under the Defense Production Act to ramp up domestic vaccine production capacity, WHICH EVERYONE KNEW WE WOULD NEED.
4. He sabotaged our national postal system for political reasons and it is now it in disrepair when we need it most.
4. He sabotaged our national postal system for political reasons and it is now it in disrepair when we need it most.
For the foregoing reasons, the only "credit" Trump deserves is credit for running the worst response to COVID in the developed world.
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