A number of MAGA Republicans have praised Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for suing pharmaceutical company Pfizer for allegedly misrepresenting the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Paxton announced on Thursday that he will be filing a lawsuit against Pfizer, accusing it of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by engaging in “false, deceptive, and misleading acts and practices” regarding the widely distributed vaccine, as well as claims the company tried to censor public discussion regarding the product.
Paxton takes issues with the company’s November 2020 statement that the vaccine was 95 percent effective against COVID-19 from 28 days after the first dose, which Paxton claims is misleading. He also claimed that Pfizer intimidated the U.S. population into getting the vaccine as a “necessary measure to protect loved ones.”
A spokesperson for Pfizer told Newsweek that Paxton’s case has no merit and will be thrown out in court.
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“We are pursuing justice for the people of Texas, many of whom were coerced by tyrannical vaccine mandates to take a defective product sold by lies,” Paxton said in a statement.
“The facts are clear. Pfizer did not tell the truth about their COVID-19 vaccines. Whereas the Biden Administration weaponized the pandemic to force illegal public health decrees on the public and enrich pharmaceutical companies, I will use every tool I have to protect our citizens who were misled and harmed by Pfizer’s actions.”
A number of MAGA figures and supporters of former President Donald Trump praised Paxton.
“Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton suing Pfizer for misrepresenting the efficacy of the vaccine!!!!” Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the former president, posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Comedian and Blaze TV host Chad Prather wrote while sharing Paxton’s lawsuit: “The vaccines are the greatest fraud and scam ever foisted on the American people in history of this country. Expose the hell out of them.”
Rogan O’Handley, a right-wing conspiracy theorist who posts under the @DC_Draino account, added: “Now do you know why TX Rep Dade Phelan and his corrupt buddies tried to impeach & remove AG Ken Paxton from office? He fights for the People, not the Bush donors.”
Elsewhere, the popular social media account Catturd, which has more than 2.1 million followers on X, wrote: “BAM—one of the only Republicans with a spine.” In response, Paxton posted: “Thank you, @catturd2. You are one cool cat.”
Others condemned Paxton. Author and columnist Jay Bookman posted: “And by ‘conspiring to censor public discourse,’ Paxton means Pfizer dared to stand up for the efficacy of its life-saving product against liars and grifters like Paxton. Corporate America better wake up to the threat these wackos pose to their right to do business.”
Reporter James Surowicki added: “Quite remarkable that Ken Paxton is suing Pfizer for claiming that its vaccine was 95% effective against ‘infection’ when Pfizer never made any such claims. And the rest of the press release is of course filled with antivax nonsense.”
In a statement, Pfizer said it is deeply committed to the well-being of the patients it serves and has no higher priority than the safety and effectiveness of its treatments and vaccines.
“Since its initial authorization by FDA in December 2020, the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to more than 1.5 billion people, demonstrated a favorable safety profile in all age groups, and helped protect against severe COVID-19 outcomes, including hospitalization and death,” the statement said. “The representations made by the company about its COVID-19 vaccine have been accurate and science-based.
“The company believes that the state’s case has no merit and will respond to the petition in court in due course.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.