#Trump urges Americans to get vaccines, takes shot at J&J pause

Former President Donald Trump urged Americans to get vaccinated against the coronavirus in a Monday night interview where he again criticized the federal pause of the Johnson & Johnson jab.

“I encourage them to take it,” Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in an hour-long sit-down interview, referring to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Trump, who was stricken with coronavirus last October, has received his vaccine.

He added that the drug companies “all want me to do a commercial because a lot of our people don’t want to take the vaccine.”

But Trump wasn’t sure why people were hesitant to take the shot.

“I don’t know what that is exactly, Republican, I don’t know what it is,” he said.  

While promoting the shot in the interview, the former president also ripped the pause to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which was announced last Tuesday by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“What the FDA did with Johnson & Johnson is so stupid,” Trump said.

“That’s the worst thing you could have done from a public relations standpoint. And it probably even affects the other vaccines a little bit,” the former president said.

Use of the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine was halted in the US amid reports that six women in the country developed dangerous blood clots — including one who died — after receiving the immunization.

The Biden administration has defended the pause, arguing it’s the proper precaution to keep Americans safe.