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Slate reports:
In order to encourage Americans to get vaccinated, a federal health agency had an idea: Get Santa Claus involved. The Department of Health and Human Services had planned to devote $250 million for an advertising campaign, part of which involved Santa Claus performers promoting COVID-19 vaccination, reports the Wall Street Journal.
In exchange, they would get access to the vaccine before the general public. And not just Mr. Claus, performers playing Mrs. Claus and elves would also benefit from the scheme. Michael Caputo, an HHS assistant secretary who took a 60-day medical leave last month, was the one who thought up the plan.
Sure from Slate: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/10/trump-hhs-santa-claus-early-access-covid-vaccine.html
Rolling Stone reports:
HHS Secretary Alex Azar told the paper that the Santa “collaboration will not be happening,” to the disappointment of children and Santa Clauses across the nation. “This was our greatest hope for Christmas 2020, and now it looks like it won’t happen,” Ric Erwin, chairman of the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas, told the Journal.
Erwin also provided audio recordings of his calls with Caputo, who said to him, “If you and your colleagues are not essential workers, I don’t know what is.” Caputo also told Erwin, “I cannot wait to tell the president. He’s going to love this.” The plan goal was to “defeat despair” and “inspire hope” with ads online, on TV, in podcasts, and on the radio.
Sauce from Rolling Stone:
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-official-planned-to-give-santa-claus-performers-early-access-virus-vaccine-1080844/
QuiteADapperAsshole
If youd like the vaccine early, find a clinical research site near you.
AdmiralBananaSplitter1
I prefer to not be the first to get it. With everyone rushing the vaccine, medical professionals don't need to be put out of commission.
mardukkur
If I claimed 2 days ago this was something the Trump administration was planning everyone would think I was utterly insane. WTF?
steerAwwPrincess
The Trump Fuckery never stops
NinjaIsAwesome
ho-ho-horseshit
glamdring1
I would be more excited about this if Healthcare workers weren't already super leary of a rushed vaccine using brand new technology.
WehWehWeh
Was... was the payment for their services the vaccine? That's some real dystopia shit.
evilspyre
Who knows what the side effects of a rushed untested vaccine would be too, would be a nightmare even if you got it for free.
PlasticFicus
Do they really think we're taking our kids to see santa this year?! Or that there is a person willing to play santa?!
whatisthisproductivityyouspeakof
Considering everything else people are willing to do in a pandemic, are you really surprised?
PlasticFicus
I am. I still really am surprised that this idea made its way onto paper.
NomDeImguerre
You wanna bet that about 200m of that would flow straight into a Trumo/crony backpocket?
takingupspace
I understand wanting to promote vaccines to the public but this method would also promote spreading the virus. Asinine.
jjjack007
Shaking head like a head banger
MyCommentsUsuallyHaveTypos
Do we need a vaccine? Yes. A rushed vaccine? NO!
Keairan
Are there even words in any language to describe how stupid this plan was? English doesn't have anything intense enough, imo.
disasterfactory324
ItsBobBelcher
This iswhat happens when you train your constituency to act like children. You have totrick them with fucking Santa clause to take a vaccine
Clockworkdancerobot
That is insane. Thing is, they'd still be covid plague rats since it spreads on surfaces and people.
AwesomeTeddybear
As someone not from the USA.... I reeeeaaaaaally hope you get that monkey out of the white house
TobiOfTheAkatsuki
Mate I'd legit take a monkey with a typewriter than Mango Mussolini.
WoodyGoodman
Even a shit flinging monkey would be an improvement. ...kinda
awesomecat42
Don't insult monkeys like that.
AwesomeTeddybear
I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me..
WoodyGoodman
No harm done
Porecomesis
That is a wonderful title.
votedmostlikelytobedownvoted
Why thanks bud! I tries!!
theimgurappsucksballs
Couldn't find an It's A Wonderful Life gif
votedmostlikelytobedownvoted
just as good.
ButterfaceTaintClown
Except it's way worse than that. Imagine the meeting. Trump "how do we get my base vaccinated before anyone else?" Miller "hey Kush, do (1
ButterfaceTaintClown
your people go to Santa?" Kushner "no... I am reek". Miller "atheists don't believe in Santa either" Trump "you thinking what I'm (2
ButterfaceTaintClown
thinking?" Miller, "heil bingo!" (3
DrSchlepenstein
Santa has now decided to shit in Trump's stocking instead of just leaving him coal.
MyCommentsUsuallyHaveTypos
God I wish this was real
middleburgh
guinea pigs...they want guinea pigs
AninOnin
Bingo. Who better to test vaccines on than the homeless or impoverished? These assholes think anyone not working/consuming is worthless.
Alrathra
I say this in all seriousness, in the U.S.s past, they used Military personnel and nation colonies.
definitelynotacathaha
Also like...we don’t have a vaccine. I don’t even think the US is even close.
Spreadsheetsrulemylife17
Here in Australia the Covid plan is no sitting on Santa’s lap allowed. They can stand near him for photos only. Much safer.
TatersWhatsTatersPrecious
"Democrats refuse to vaccinate Santa Claus, their War on Christmas continues." - Fox News
Kitakita
WEAPONIZED SANTA CLAUSES
PackedCatMeowingPowerDensity
So where does this place antivaxxers?
LuffyFett
In a ditch or on an island
3lv3n
Christmas Island?
bound4doom
Is that a real headline? Asking cause i can believe it from Fox news. You never know anymore.
Datsinginguy
Haha, not yet. But watch this space... the Onion has nothing compared to reality in 2020!
sykoticflaw
You laugh, but I fuckin' guarantee this'll be a talking point on Fox in a month
THExPILLOx
#allgodsmatter
notpassword
What a messed up approach. But doesn’t it make sense to ensure Santa isn’t spreading to children all day long?
MyCommentsUsuallyHaveTypos
Do we need a vaccine? Yes. A rushed vaccine? NO!
jicahmusic
Fawin
3lv3n
Spotted a republican Santa Claus
jimmyhowlett
I just realized that Santa is incredibly communist. I'm amazed they like him. Maybe because he is self funded not tax funded.
spank3000
Elves have 0 rights in the work place, Santa is a slave owner
DukeLetoofDune
Who gives a fuck about Christmas. . . Melania Trump
notpassword
Only heard the recordings once, but wasn’t that said in comparison to the children in cages and how no one wanted to run her story on that?
CelticScribe
"Who gives a fuck about the Christmas stuff?" - The First Lady
notpassword
Context
potatoardvarkhybrid
why not pay parents $250 for each kid to get fully vaccinated. - a million kids would be vaccinated in a week
sirbartonslady
Give money to poor people?? Are you stupid??? They want to give that money to their friends!
AStupidWeeb
Yes but that would e giving people free stuff. Much easier to give the money to middlemen instead.
kraeftig
Shit I'd be asking to borrow peoples kids lets be honest here
Imalwaysready
Just go ahead and give it my kid several times while we're here. CHA-CHING!
kraeftig
Teaching kids that injections = cash money will have absolutely no negative repercussions whatsoever, this is a very solid plan
Imalwaysready
You think I'm telling the little brat that I made money on the deal? I need a new Switch. I ain't sharing.
RhinoNaut
This is the still untested vaccine we are talking about, yeah? They would trust an unproven vaccine so they could claim to save Christmas.
Camelspotting
No they wouldn't.
RedWingedBlackbirds
And inject children with it
RiverHawk
What unpatriotic to not be willing to give the live of your children for the greater glory of our capitalist overlord .. ehh country.
MarioBoon
The russian vaccine? Even that one is now in stage 3 of trials. 9 other vaccines are currently being tested in stage 3 on 100.000+ people
Kitakita
less than ten days now
MyCommentsUsuallyHaveTypos
Do we need a vaccine? Yes. A rushed vaccine? NO!
MadLogTheGr8
Having mall Santas with countless kids sitting on their lap seems like a terrible idea during a pandemic - but that’s just me, sanity
gibzler
That's exactly what I was thinking. Do people not realize the risk with that??
SewerRanger
I believe this is the reason they're offering Santa the vaccine first. Santa gets vaccinated, kids get to sit on Santas lap /1
SewerRanger
HHS gets to see how effective the vaccine is. I actually don't dislike this plan.
NacLac
Excepting of course the massive crowds to see Santa and resulting superspreader events
NacLac
Especially as the families are by default unvaccinated
CGMR
That’s over 208,000 $1200 stimulus cheque’s. But yeah sure, do the Santa thing.
RenaissanceFaireMan
I'm sure Caputo had a special advertising company in mind.
brib
Coincidence? It's the money they predict saving by not having to stimulate the dead bodies
bacter
Genuine question for anybody: what was going to cost $250 million about this?
RenaissanceFaireMan
More than likely Caputo's wife works at an advertising company.
WhatzitTooya
1 mil for the santas and the vaccine, and 249 for the consultant firm.
bacter
I know, I know "grift", and you're right I'm sure but... did they at least pretend?
PervHunter
They never even bother to pretend anymore. Now that they know they can spin literal concentration camps on nightly news... it's over.
trippingthelightfantastic
"Save Christmas"
Cilvaa
Sauroctonus
"Save Christmas"? It was under threat?
trippingthelightfantastic
Profits are.
Sauroctonus
With the way they're behaving, maybe. If they'd just wrote off this year's profits and shut down long enough next year would've been fine.
WoodyGoodman
Lee Ving this here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbTULjLtKP4
Nukls
MrBoh
Can you imagine if Michelle Obama said that?
CaldariBob
If Melania said it, isn't there a good chance Michelle Obama said it a few years before?
Sturdycrotch
From the start I could tell she didn't give a fuck about anything she was doing. All her "decorating" is/was ugly as fuck just like them
MyRespectableAlterEgo
I know a couple super-rich tasteless & tacky families who pay holiday decorators to do their houses up: same joyless look & vibe
skellington01
Unfortunately I know a couple of women who married for money. It’s a depressing life, they can’t find joy in anything. Like living in jail.
wintermute93
SUPER
wintermute93
HOT
theimgurappsucksballs
Reminds me of the Christmas my wife was on her period
LompHoofd
OK Boomer
AninOnin
From the thumbnail, I thought it was the KKK in their Christmas regalia.
catmagicburke
They dress as poinsettias during the holidays
drosophilamelanogaster
And sat ontop of the tree?
SwedeOnAnIsland
Did she really say that?
MacClay
Yeah. Context makes it less bad, but it doesn't make it good either.
SwedeOnAnIsland
What context?
MacClay
She was mad that people cared about the Xmas decorations etc. while Covid was happening. Would've been more valid had she phrased it better,
MacClay
but she probably didn't expect that conversation to hit the internet. All the dumb shit the Trumps do, that didn't seem all that egregious.
MaximilianShade
It's on tape. You can find the audio if you search for it.
khora
Yep. Recorded phone call.
IDGAFtheApathetic
The only quote from a Trump that I genuinely like.
Enoan
“FDR did it so it must be good” generally agree except that he was referencing Japanese Internment
drosophilamelanogaster
I dunno, some of Mary's are quite good.
SwedeOnAnIsland
Like?
OmegaKamidake
Mary Trump, his niece that wrote the book about him
SwedeOnAnIsland
I asked for examples of quotes
sitenickname
mitharas
A senate without Mitch and Lindsey would be interesting.
penzick
As a New Yorker, I've donated to each of their oppoents. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/retakesenate2020
TheGhostMinx
I'd just say line them up against the wall. They've earned it.
Grumpyfrumpy
There is no one here with a skin tone darker than a 2-week all-inclusive to Punta Cana
Foaley
Obligatory fuck Graham. And McConnell, but I’m not able to vote on him since I’m in SC. Can’t wait to see those fuckers get the boot
sitenickname
I appreciate your efforts on behalf of the rest of the US (and the world) :)
MissSiesta
Vote them out, then look at who of the dems should go too.
njatgu
Voting based strictly on party lines? This is a part of the problem, not the solution.
sitenickname
Don't think that's what it says, does it? However, Republican party has been the enabler of Trump politics & destruction so, get better ones
njatgu
I guess it doesn't say "vote democrat!" But it is essentially saying "dont vote Republican no matter what their specific views/values are"
sitenickname
These senators have shown what their values & views are which include kissing Trump butt & hanging the people they "represent" out to dry
sitenickname
Found this just an hour or so ago, thought I would share:
sitenickname
Having spent several months in Turkey including during two elections there, I can tell you it's not where the US wants to be; nor Hungary
morelikeconsham
Kelly Loeffler is technically not up for reelection seeing as she is an interem senator on her 0th term, but she is a current republican
idklolwut12
She’s also a soulless demon so
morelikeconsham
Well yes. The epitome of republican rot
morelikeconsham
Senator seeking election, and she is the epitome of republican rot that needs to go.
ICannotStressThisEnoughBut
As a white male, I've got to say... There's way too many white males up in there
Me1iss0
They will not let go of their jobs until they practically die making it hard for younger more diverse ppl to hold those positions. Bullshit
DarkCrawler901
87 percent of Congressional Republicans are white males.
somepersondoingsomethings
22 white males is too many? Why? 70%+ of the population is white. Thats a bit racist to be honest.
clucja1
How many people of color in that pic? See how 100% is more than 70%?
sitenickname
You do realize that the other 88 are not all POC right?
somepersondoingsomethings
You do realize they arent all white either right?
sitenickname
9... Nine out of 100 which means that 91 (aka 91%) are despite only 70% of the population
magicwafflez6
well half the population is women. so THIS is a bit sexist to be honest.
somepersondoingsomethings
Thats fine, more women should participate in government.
MrMcFartington
Vote out both parties. They have had power and damaged oir country long enough,
sitenickname
Impretendingihavefriends
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