Jason Miller, a senior adviser to President Trump’s reelection campaign, on Sunday pointed to a COVID-19 vaccine that he said would be ready and distributed by the end of this year when challenged on the president’s claim that the U.S. is “rounding the corner” on the pandemic despite rising cases and deaths.
“We’re right there on the cusp of having this vaccine finalized and ready for distribution. We will have it done and start distributing it by the end of the year,” Miller said on ABC’s “This Week” when asked by host George Stephanopoulos about Trump’s rhetoric.
Miller also said that “COVID is no longer a death-sentence for virtually everybody who gets it.”
“We have made such miraculous advancements in such a short amount of time,” he added.
Stephanopoulos pressed Miller again for a response on rising coronavirus cases and deaths, asking why the White House appeared to continue attacking Anthony Fauci, who has warned that the winter season would bring about worse COVID-19 conditions.
“Dr. Fauci isn’t on the ballot on Tuesday,” said Miller. “This is about President Trump and Joe Biden.”
Miller went on to characterize suggestions to avoid in-person voting due to the pandemic as a form of voter suppression, referring to them as “scare tactics.”
“President Trump supporters are going to show up on Tuesday. Nothing is going to stop them. This is really gonna be a vote suppression effort against Democratic voters and I think Democrats are going to look in the rear-view mirror and say, ‘This is probably what cost us the election.'”