Jim Jordan gets a badly needed fact-check after claiming that 'vaccine mandates are un-American'
Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio speaking at the 2016 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, Gage Skidmore
September 07, 2021 | 11:39AM ETBankAlways determined to attack Democrats any way he can, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio has been loudly pushing anti-vaxxer ideas. On Monday, September 6, the far-right Republican congressman tweeted that "vaccine mandates are unamerican." And it didn't take Twitter users long to remind Jordan that in fact, vaccine mandates have a long history in the United States.
Vaccine mandates are un-American.— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Rep. Jim Jordan) 1630960469
From businesses to the U.S. Armed Forces to schools, vaccine mandates existed in the United States long before the COVID-19 pandemic. And one of the medical experts who gave Jordan a badly needed history lesson was Houston-based Dr. Peter Hotez, who has made countless appearances on MSNBC and CNN in 2021. In response to Jordan, Hotez tweeted:
This is simply not true. Vaccines for smallpox, later childhood vaccines for measles, mumps, rubella, Hib (vaccines discovered in USA), preserved our nation. I\u2019m aghast at the absence of intellectual curiosity or even passing interest in American history from our US Congresshttps://twitter.com/jim_jordan/status/1434978332513292291\u00a0\u2026— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD) 1630979099
Sometimes there is a need for crisp lines. Those who seek to undermine COVID19 vaccines place their own short term political gains and expediency ahead of love of country. They are not patriots. They are bottom feeders. Opportunists. I\u2019ve seen them come and go. Mostly go.— Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD (@Prof Peter Hotez MD PhD) 1630981375
Twitter user Morten Øverbye, based in Oslo, Norway, reminded Jordan that a vaccine mandate came from George Washington, the United States' first president, back in 1777:
On January 6th 1777, George Washington wrote to Dr. William Shippen Jr., ordering him to inoculate all the troops that came through Philadelphia.https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1434978332513292291\u00a0\u2026— Morten \u00d8verbye (@Morten \u00d8verbye) 1630996883
On February 5th 1777, Washington committed to the unpopular policy of mass inoculation by writing to inform Congress of his plan. It was the first mass inoculation of an army.\n\nhttps://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/GW&smallpoxinoculation.html\u00a0\u2026— Morten \u00d8verbye (@Morten \u00d8verbye) 1630996883
Here are some of the other tweets that fact-checked Jordan:
Every US soldier is required to be vaccinated against chicken pox, hep A, hep B, measles, mumps, rubella, rabies, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, rabies, typhoid, pneumococcal pneumonia, and the flu. Is that really un-American?https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1434978332513292291\u00a0\u2026— James Surowiecki (@James Surowiecki) 1630993050
Dude: you went to school and HAD to be immunized for measles, mumps, rubella and a host of other childhood preventable illnesses. Vaccine mandates have been in place in the US for decades you jackass. You're either ignorant or know you're lying. Not a good look.— Gregg Gonsalves (@Gregg Gonsalves) 1631011881
Ohio State University has a vaccination mandate for all students. Did you voice your opinions on vaccine mandates when you worked there, or is this a new thing for you?https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1434978332513292291\u00a0\u2026— Jax Persists (@Jax Persists) 1630988370
pic.twitter.com/cSD8zWzpY1— Elvis Aaron Hemphill (@Elvis Aaron Hemphill) 1631025771
You mean like how America handled polio?\n\nOr like how George Washington himself handled smallpox?\n\nOr like how America handled measles?\n\nOr like how America handled lots of other communicable diseases?\n\nWith vaccine mandates?— Graham the Cat (@Graham the Cat) 1630961330
what to say if you want george washington to court martial you for insubordination at valley forge:https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1434978332513292291\u00a0\u2026— Michael Tae Sweeney (@Michael Tae Sweeney) 1630987540
So two things, you pedophile-enabling stooge hack dickdrip of middling intellect: One, schools, universities and government agencies have been mandating vaccines for decades. Two, inciting insurrection against the US government is un-American. What else you got?https://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1434978332513292291\u00a0\u2026— Randi Mayem Singer (@Randi Mayem Singer) 1630979134
i'm sure everyone on this website has already mentioned it, but george washington, america's first president and the face of america's money, literally forced smallpox inoculations during the fight for american independencehttps://twitter.com/Jim_Jordan/status/1434978332513292291\u00a0\u2026— Brandon Friedman (@Brandon Friedman) 1630983182
This is from 1918. They understood the necessity of public health and safety. They didn\u2019t have the vaccines we have. Why should we not do everything we now have in our toolbox to stop it? It\u2019s not like we\u2019re asking you about sexually abused wrestlers or something.pic.twitter.com/XZUAhZS9tv— Marcie, FeistyDame\ud83d\ude37\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf34 (@Marcie, FeistyDame\ud83d\ude37\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf34) 1630962979
1. George Washington vaccinated his troops against smallpox, which is how we won the revolutionary war, traitor.\n\n2. The Supreme Court found that vaccine mandates are, in fact, American and appropriate, dunce:https://twitter.com/michaelharriot/status/1432069379219464201\u00a0\u2026— Dean Gloster (@Dean Gloster) 1631005221
Here's a list of OSU's mandatory vaccine requirements. \n\nThe fact that you didn't voice this opinion when you worked there says your opinion on it is not based on any kind of morality, or patriotism, it's based on what you think will keep you in office.https://shs.osu.edu/vaccinations1/university-vaccination-requirement\u00a0\u2026— Jax Persists (@Jax Persists) 1630988510
I\u2019d like to think Americans needlessly dying is un-American but that\u2019s just me.— Mike Horan (@Mike Horan) 1631026983
