Speaking on many topics that brought forth cheers from the audience, Trump also called on people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, which caused some boos to erupt.
“And you know what?” Trump said. “I believe totally in your freedoms. I do. You’ve got to do what you have to do. But I recommend take the vaccines. I did it. It’s good. Take the vaccines.”
Working with the crowd, he reiterated that he got the vaccine and that it is working to stop the spread of the disease, but still maintained that it came down to individual choice.
“You do have your freedoms you have to keep,” he said. “You have to maintain that.”
Trump’s message comes as COVID cases continue to rise across the country, including in Alabama, which has one of the lowest vaccination rates according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Last month, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, also called on people to get vaccinated, saying the unvaccinated were the cause of the spread of new COVID cases.
“Let’s be crystal clear about this issue. And media, I want you to start reporting the facts. The new cases of COVID are because of unvaccinated folks,” Gov. Ivey said at a Birmingham event when asked if she had plans to instate a mask mandate. “Almost 100% of the new hospitalizations are with unvaccinated folks. And the deaths are certainly occurring with the unvaccinated folks. These folks are choosing a horrible lifestyle of self-inflicted pain.”