Trump's allies are begging the vaccinated ex-president to run a pro-vax campaign. He's still refusing: report

Former President Donald Trump is still refusing to encourage COVID-19 vaccination even as his allies urge him to do so in wake of the latest COVID resurgence, The Daily Beast reports.

According to the Beast, many of Trump's allies are advising him to lend a hand in the nation's fight against COVID. From speaking about the nationwide COVID vaccination initiative to giving "a national primetime address with President Joe Biden urging his supporters and voters to get the shot," many recommendations have been offered to the former president. However, most have fallen on deaf ears.

Stephen Moore, a former Trump economic advisor, said he couldn't provide a "good answer for" why he is refusing to bolster the fight against COVID.

"I know from a friend who works with Trump that they gave it to him…[and that it] got to his desk," he added. "I think he would be well-advised to make a public statement and a speech [devoted to] really encouraging people to get vaccinated; I think it would influence people…It would be in his own political interest, as well as the nation's interest."

Moore's suggestion is actually one of many. Per the Beast:

"Some have suggested teaming up with the Bidens, while others have told the former president that it would be an awful idea, both on pragmatic and political levels. Several have suggested Donald and Melania Trump star in public service announcements and others videos, such as those featuring highly visible conservative influencers. Others have pitched the former president on dedicating entire interviews and whole speeches to the topic, making appearances at related venues with doctors, prominent Republicans, or pro-vaccine evangelical leaders."

Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also weighed in with her take on the vaccine, insisting she believes "the benefits of getting vaccinated outweighed any potential risks."

"Based on the advice of my doctor," Sanders wrote, "I determined that the benefits of getting vaccinated outweighed any potential risks. I was also reassured after President Trump and his family were vaccinated. If getting vaccinated was safe enough for them, I felt it was safe enough for me."