Nothing would help Donald Trump get re-elected more than the rapid mass production of an effective vaccine. The problem, however, is that surveys show that large numbers of Americans wouldn’t trust any vaccine, and wouldn’t take it. It may be safely assumed that a substantial proportion of these people are Trump voters. Trump himself has shown considerable sympathy for anti-vaxxers throughout the years. Hence, the irony.
But we shouldn’t be surprised. Trump has consistently sabotaged himself by refusing to wear a mask and being ambivalent about supplemental unemployment insurance and aid to state and local governments. If he loses, he can blame the man with the unmasked face in the mirror.