White House Officials Who Completely Mismanaged The Pandemic Will Be Among The First To Get Vaccinated

Members of President Trump's administration — who seriously mismanaged the coronavirus pandemic leading to nearly 300,000 American deaths and who have constantly downplayed the seriousness of the virus by refusing to wear masks and defying public health experts — will be among the first to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

The New York Times and Bloomberg first reported that high-ranking White House officials who work closely with Trump are scheduled to receive shots of the vaccine — prioritized for healthcare workers and nursing home residents — within days.

The White House confirmed to BuzzFeed News that senior administration officials were going to receive vaccinations to ensure that the government can continue to operate during the pandemic and to build the public trust in the vaccine. However, the White House did not provide details on how many staff members would be getting the doses and when.

"Senior officials across all three branches of government will receive vaccinations pursuant to continuity of government protocols established in executive policy," John Ullyot, the Deputy Assistant to the President and a National Security Council spokesperson, said in a statement to BuzzFeed News.

"The American people should have confidence that they are receiving the same safe and effective vaccine as senior officials of the United States government on the advice of public health professionals and national security leadership," Ullyot said.

Hours later on Sunday, Trump tweeted that he had asked for an adjustment to be made, saying that White House staffers "should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary."

He said that he was not scheduled to be vaccinated but would get it "at the appropriate time."