Vice President Mike Pence defended the administration's distribution of coronavirus vaccines in the face of criticism from President-elect Joe Biden and numerous medical experts.
Administration officials, including Pence, promised 20 million doses would be distributed before 2020 ended -- which happens Thursday -- but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says only 11.4 million doses have gone out and just 2.1 million have been administered.
"The Trump administration's plan to distribute vaccines is falling far behind," Biden said Tuesday. "I'm going to move Heaven and Earth to get us going in the right direction."
Pence, however, took exception to the criticism and fired back late Tuesday on Twitter to defend himself and President Donald Trump.
"Operation Warp Speed is on track to distribute 20 Million doses of Coronavirus Vaccine by next week," Pence insisted. "Millions of Americans have been vaccinated and we are working with States every day to vaccinate millions more. This is no time for playing politics!"
Operation Warp Speed is on track to distribute 20 Million doses of Coronavirus Vaccine by next week. Millions of Americans have been vaccinated and we are working with States every day to vaccinate millions more. This is no time for playing politics!https://t.co/KUKf1Szd0p
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) December 30, 2020
But many commentators noted that Pence had apparently changed the Trump administration's stated goals.
How it started: How it's going: https://t.co/uh9rVEaBhe— Benjy Renton (@Benjy Renton) 1609336519.0
The 20 million figure was Trump administration's own benchmark. They announced it themselves in early November, nob… https://t.co/xQcpj4vvrA— David Frum (@David Frum) 1609340143.0
They said they would vaccinate 20 million people by the end of the year. Now Pence sneakily changes that to “distri… https://t.co/wfkwiPh9ju— Helen Kennedy (@Helen Kennedy) 1609335890.0
In virtually every campaign rally Trump promised 100 million PEOPLE would be vaccinated by the end of December. https://t.co/t6mmrAFfCG— Glenn Kessler (@Glenn Kessler) 1609301806.0
Other Twitter users fact-checked the vice president and asked whether he was still vacationing for the holidays in Vail, Colorado.
liar.
— Cheri Jacobus (@CheriJacobus) December 30, 2020
How are the slopes today?
— Kevin M. Kruse (@KevinMKruse) December 30, 2020
You've failed Mike.
Distributing crates of vaccines is not saving American lives by making sure they are vaccinated.
Operation Warp Speed fell short and blaming your failure on the States shows a total lack of leadership. pic.twitter.com/fVccqTBs9E
— Éric Legrand (@NapoleonVII) December 30, 2020
Yeah, we see your fine work. Old folks wrapped up in sleeping bags, waiting on long lines outdoors for 12 hours to get their vaccinations, in Florida'm
There's a special place in Hell for you.
That voice you hear in your ear so often?
It's not God.
— Dr. Lee in Iowa #TeamPelosi (@Lee_in_Iowa) December 30, 2020
This is being bungled so badly at every level of government its hard to fathom. You've had literally months to prep… https://t.co/7fuxQdB7aj— Fred Wellman (@Fred Wellman) 1609337227.0
This administration is warped! Twisted! Intentionally turned down WHO Covid tests, as POTUS said if we don't test the numbers won't go up.
— Pat Fuller MA BsEd. #EmbraceHope #WearAMask #BLM (@bannerite) December 30, 2020
By distribute do you mean to the people? Or just to warehouses?
— Jeremy Newberger (@jeremynewberger) December 30, 2020
Man who leads COVID task force doesn't want to be blamed for his failures as COVID deaths hit record highs while he skis in Vail.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 30, 2020
The country is falling apart. Hospitals are full, people are dying. The Russians launched a huge cyber attack and the president and vice president are off on vacation.
— Alex Cole (@acnewsitics) December 30, 2020
“Distributing" 20 million doses and vaccinitating 20 million people by the end of the year is not the same thing. You failed.
Republicans claim anything that holds them accountable is “playing politics".
— DeMarcus (@semperdiced) December 30, 2020
What exactly does distributed mean in this instance? My understanding is only 2 million Americans have been vaccinated thus far. President Elect Biden is not playing politics, he's merely telling the American public the truth.
— Dan (@DanDcgrandview) December 30, 2020
While you are vacationing in Vail the states don't have the federal support or guidance to get vaccines into arms. Only 2 million vaccines have been given so far. You have 18 million vaccines to go to hit warp speed this week. You need to stop playing politics.
— Roy Tonai 🌊🌊🍑🍣🏄🏾♂️🏌🏻♂️🏝🗾 (@roy_tonai) December 30, 2020
U.S. Vaccinations at 200,000 a Day Run Far Short of 'Warp Speed'
The nation won't meet its goal of 20 million doses by year-end.https://t.co/yr2iYmmKSE
— RN-BSN. Mask up until it's over. Irish. Democrat. (@gspowers) December 30, 2020
A reminder that the Trump/Pence administration turned down Pfizer's offer to allocate millions of vaccines to the United States. Those vaccines have now gone to other countries.
Mike, your entire response to the pandemic has been "playing politics."https://t.co/715BMZuVfA
— Mrs. Betty Bowers (@BettyBowers) December 30, 2020
