President Joe Biden's administration is ramping up its efforts to get a sufficient amount of Americans vaccinated as stronger variants of the virus that's killed over 600 thousand Americans continue to emerge.
A hindrance to that effort are the countless right-wing congresspeople and media personalities eagerly promoting disinformation regarding the efficacy and safety of the vaccines, as well as mischaracterizing the government's effort to persuade Americans to get it.
Recently, these right-wing figures have likened the government's vaccine push to Nazis, to Jim Crow, and to apartheid.
Now, one Fox News panelist has likened the effort to the Taliban, the ultraconservative insurgents who gave refuge to Osama bin Laden after the September 11 attacks.
Watch below.
Fox contributor compares the Biden administration's vaccine push to the Taliban Hurt: "When it comes to medical p… https://t.co/ISuzVDPvk7— Lis Power (@Lis Power) 1625855998.0
Fox News correspondent Charlie Hurt said:
"The problem is when it comes to medical privacy, they've become like the Taliban, which is a real problem."
Hurt went on to falsely claim that young people "don't need" the vaccine.
Fellow commentator Marie Harf pushed back on Hurt's comparison:
"Bringing the Taliban or Nazi Germany like Marjorie Taylor Greene has done into this debate about vaccines, that is just not helpful. ... That language is what's scaring people from getting the vaccine."
Others on social media disagreed with the comparison as well.
@LisPower1 Fox News: a safe space for liars and morons. (Mostly.) #FixFoxNews— Rick G. Rosner (@Rick G. Rosner) 1625859999.0
@LisPower1 Uh huh https://t.co/HaDUqCLRay— Reese(Marquis de Lafayette) (@Reese(Marquis de Lafayette)) 1625856414.0
@LisPower1 @mmfa Whenever I think of public health policy that could mitigate unnecessary illness & death, I always… https://t.co/wPYQug5i7V— Busto Mundo (@Busto Mundo) 1625856384.0
@LisPower1 To be clear, the taliban are known for violently attacking public vaccination campaigns.— Cross-eyed Bear (@Cross-eyed Bear) 1625860548.0
@LisPower1 @mmfa Damn. I needed al-Qaeda to finish my bingo card of GOP comparison’s of the vaccine. Currently,… https://t.co/HWApwDb823— John Howie (@John Howie) 1625856467.0
@LisPower1 Yup protecting and saving lives is totally like the Taliban. 🙄— tellthetruth (@tellthetruth) 1625856455.0
Once again, Fox was breaching dangerous territory.
This is going to get people killed—The healthcare workers knocking on doors. https://t.co/YoJr3LcGdt— Kim 🌸 (@Kim 🌸) 1625858600.0
This is insanity. How are they getting away with spreading so much anti-vaxx propaganda and paranoia? HOW? https://t.co/ENolGu3v9n— CyberMindGrrl🏳️🌈 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 (@CyberMindGrrl🏳️🌈 🇨🇦 🇺🇸) 1625858501.0
Just pumping people who won't read a newspaper full of terrifying nonsense hour after hour after hour. https://t.co/kySCRwMy90— Hank Epton (@Hank Epton) 1625856065.0
Segments like this have contributed to the major disparity of vaccine reception between Democrats and Republicans.