“The stock market was pleased to learn of Pfizer’s encouraging findings on a potential COVID-19 vaccine ― but not Donald Trump Jr. President Donald Trump’s eldest son expressed skepticism over the timing of the announcement, considering it came days after his pop lost the election to Joe Biden. “The timing of this is pretty amazing. Nothing nefarious about the timing of this at all right?” The timing of this is pretty amazing. Nothing nefarious about the timing of this at all right? 🙄 https://t.co/nS5rkywKXT— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) November 9, 2020 Many Twitter users jumped in to tell Jr. that his ginned-up conspiracy theory suggesting Pfizer held off announcing the promising data specifically to hurt his dad’s reelection efforts didn’t actually hold water. The timing, explained, via Bloomberg: \”Pfizer raced to verify the data, which were still blinded to almost everyone at the company.. Early on Sunday afternoon, an independent data monitoring committee.. met in a closed video session to review the results for the first time.\” https://t.co/fGmUslk0vf— Michael McAuliff (@mmcauliff) November 9, 2020 Others pointed out Pfizer’s announcement fit the pharmaceutical giant’s previously announced timeline. Trump administration has known for months Nov-Dec would be #COVID19 vaccine timing on trials, with earliest distribution likely late Dec-early January. Press has been briefed on this #OperationWarpSpeed timeline for months too. https://t.co/EYMZNwCzJp https://t.co/xzlqb8ghUE— Tara Copp (@TaraCopp) November 9, 2020 As someone who was part of the Pfizer vaccine study (phase 3), that’s been their timeline all along. Results by late October, then pushed back to early/mid November.Trying to politicize this is both sad and disgusting. But I guess that’s par for the course for Trump’s spawn.— Bryan 🇺🇸 #WeVotedOutFascism (@swimmerbr78) November 9, 2020 Guys, Pfizer said more than a month ago that it would be mid-November before they got results on the vaccine.It is…mid-November.They have been open and optimistic all through out. This was not some election ploy.— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) November 9, 2020 Other Twitter users poked holes in Trump Jr.’s baseless suggestion. If @pfizer had announced a successful #COVID19 #vaccine before Election Day, would Don Jr. have seen that timing as \”nefarious\”?Probably not, given the pressure his dad put on vaccine makers to deliver by then. And the rushed approval of #HydroxyChloroquine. Etc. https://t.co/irQxss7Dla— Todd J. Gillman (@toddgillman) November 9, 2020 Yes, Junior, the scientists sat on a life-saving vaccine specifically because they wanted to make your father look bad https://t.co/iGP1APShLO— Dreamweasel (@Dreamweasel) November 9, 2020 So, now the pharmaceutical industry is in on the conspiracy too, Spaulding? https://t.co/RUsTLxiZZZ pic.twitter.com/sMJaLcFdZF— Jamal Igle aka Hot Take Jones. (@JAMALIGLE) November 9, 2020 For once, no, there is nothing nefarious about this announcement. Correct, this announcement — not talking points dictated by the White House to the CDC — comes from a private company that took no federal $. So, yeah, nothing nefarious on this one https://t.co/0W6u47iLyN— RobGobbleGobble (@RobGeorge) November 9, 2020 One person did suggest that if Pfizer did hold back the announcement on purpose, it really can’t be blamed, considering how the Trump administration has handled the coronavirus pandemic. We have no evidence they delayed the announcement. But because there’s a 110% certainty that Trump would have taken credit for personally inventing a vaccine, I couldn’t blame them if they did. Because no one should let Trump steal credit for what scientists he shits on do. https://t.co/4RtXRj06uA— Amanda Marcotte (@AmandaMarcotte) November 9, 2020 Monday’s announcement doesn’t mean a vaccine is imminent, but Pfizer executive Dr. Bill Gruber told The Associated Press that “we’re in a position potentially to be able to offer some hope.” Still, it’s unlikely any vaccine will arrive much before the end of the year, and the initial supplies will be rationed.
