Former Alaska governor and controversial conservative Sarah Palin fired up a crowd of anti-vaxxers by promising to get a Covid vaccine "over my dead body," a choice of words that has prompted a massive backlash.
Appearing at Turning Point USA's 'AmericaFest 2021' in Phoenix, Arizona, Palin made her stance on coronavirus vaccines clear during a discussion with Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk over the weekend.
"It'll be over my dead body that I'll have to get a shot. I will not do that. I won't do it, and they better not touch my kids either," the former vice presidential candidate said, seemingly channeling late conservative actor Charlton Heston, who famously promised, at a National Rifle Association (NRA) convention, that his guns could only be taken if they were ripped from his "cold dead heads."
Palin argued she does not need a vaccine jab because she was previously infected with Covid-19.
"We were led to believe that we wouldn't have to have the shot," she said, accusing health officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci of pushing "inconsistent" talking points. The government, Palin added, is "not serious" about Covid.
"If they were serious about this, our borders would be closed, and those [that] crossed the border, they'd be tested," she said at one point during the talk. "That's evidence of what a joke this is."
The Republican activist told the crowd that more people need to stand against mandates at their jobs and in schools.
"Enough is enough," she said, encouraging conservatives to "stiffen your spine" against government mandates.
Palin's remark has triggered a torrent of criticism and mockery, mainly from US liberals, suggesting that the words of the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee might prove prophetic.
Many prominent Republicans have been pushing against US President Joe Biden's vaccination mandates. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has emerged as the most vocal opponent of the measure, signing legislation that barred private employees in his state from imposing vaccine mandates on their workers unless they allow a broad range of exemptions, including based on religious beliefs and natural immunity. Over two dozen lawsuits were filed by Republican-led states challenging the administration's mandate for private businesses with at least 100 employees. While the legal battle is still ongoing, the Republican challenge suffered a setback on Friday after a federal appeals court reinstated the mandate in the states, pending likely scrutiny by the US Supreme Court. The Biden administration has argued that broad mandates are essential to stop the spread of Covid, with the president predicting "a winter of severe illness and death" for those unvaccinated.
