Former presidents, minus Trump, appear in ads to promote vaccines

Ex-presidents club (mostly) comes together to encourage vaccinations Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama are appearing in ads as part of an effort to persuade people to get vaccinated. NBC News

WASHINGTON — The exclusive club of former presidents — minus its most recently inducted member — is featured in two national ad campaigns released Thursday that are aimed at building confidence among Americans in the coronavirus vaccines, according to copies of the videos provided to NBC News.

One of the spots, which runs a minute long, shows images of former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as former first ladies Rosalynn Carter, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Michelle Obama, being vaccinated.

"In order to get rid of this pandemic, it's important for our fellow citizens to get vaccinated," Bush says, adding later: "So roll up your sleeve and do your part."

The other, a 30-second video, features Clinton, Bush and Obama during President Joe Biden's inauguration in January, talking outside at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Obama says the vaccines are the "first step to ending the pandemic and moving our country forward."

Former President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump are not part of the campaign. The Trumps were vaccinated before the former president left office in January. Trump did not allow any official images to be taken of him being vaccinated, a person familiar with the matter said, and he has shown no interest in being an active part of the elite club of his living predecessors.

Trump's office declined to comment.

Clinton, Bush and Obama were quietly vaccinated weeks ago and offered the images for the campaign facilitated by the Ad Council, an organization that coordinates public service announcements, and the COVID Collaborative, a group of health, education and economic experts, people familiar with the effort said. Clinton, Bush and Obama had offered in December to get their vaccine shots publicly once they were eligible. Carter's office announced last month that he had been vaccinated....