Biden Praises Trump For Getting Booster Shot, Admits He Led COVID-19 Vaccine Development

President Joe Biden on Tuesday gave rare praise to former President Donald Trump for getting a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine and credited his predecessor with helping develop the vaccines.

During a speech about his administration’s response to the spread of the Omicron variant, Biden celebrated the fact that Trump got a booster shot of the coronavirus vaccine, adding that it was a rare common ground for them.

"I got my booster shot as soon as they were available and just the other day former President Trump announced he had gotten his booster shot," Biden said during a speech from the White House. "It may be one of the few things he and I agree on."

Trump first announced that he was vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 on Sunday, in a speaking tour with Bill O’Reilley, an author and former Fox News host. The news came as a surprise after the former president repeatedly promoted conspiracy theories about the shots and touted unproven medications for COVID-19. He also refused to be seen getting the COVID-19 vaccine while he was still in office.

During Biden’s speech, he also praised the Trump administration and scientists for taking steps to develop COVID-19 vaccines. The president also championed his administration’s efforts to roll out the shots.

“Thanks to the prior administration and our scientific community, America was one of the first countries to get the vaccine," Biden said. "Thanks to my administration and the hard work of Americans, we led a roll out, made America among the world leaders in getting shots in arms."

Biden’s speech comes after health officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the highly transmissible Omicron variant, first discovered in South Africa, now accounts for 73% of new COVID-19 infections in the United States. The variant has also been detected in all but two states — Oklahoma and North Dakota.

Across the globe, cases of the Omicron variant have been confirmed in 106 countries as of Tuesday, the World Health Organization’s weekly epidemiological report said.

Only one person has died of the Omicron variant in the U.S. The man, a Texas resident, was between the ages of 50 and 60, had underlying medical conditions and was unvaccinated, according to a press release from Harris County.