President Donald Trump and his administration are scrambling to get the highly contagious COVID-19 virus under control as events across the nation face cancellation or postponement.
In its desperation, the Trump administration reportedly tried to poach one of the more promising vaccines in development from German scientists.
The administration was prepared to pay $1 billion to secure rights to the vaccine, with a disturbing condition:
"[O]nly for the USA."
First reported in German newspaper Welt am Sonntag, the Trump administration sought to pay $1 billion to CureVac, the firm developing a prospective COVID-19 vaccine.
The German government didn't take kindly at all to the Trump administration's attempts to poach the vaccine.
Germany's foreign minister, Heiko Maas, said:
"German researchers play a leading role in drug and vaccine development, and we cannot allow others to seek exclusive results."
German economy minister Peter Altmaier was even more terse:
" Germany is not for sale."
While it wouldn't be surprising for the Trump administration to dismiss the coverage of their efforts as "fake news," the German government has confirmed Welt am Sonntag's reporting.
People weren't at all pleased with the administration's efforts.
Some were certain that Trump only wanted to profit off the potential vaccine.
Trump has repeatedly promised that a vaccine for the virus will be available soon, much to the chagrin of National Institute of Health Director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, who reminds Americans that a vaccine likely won't be developed and distributed for at least a year.
