GOP SEES BIDEN VACCINE MANDATES AS ENERGIZING MIDTERMS ISSUE

Republicans are seizing on President Biden’s latest coronavirus vaccine mandates as a campaign issue as the party looks to galvanize its base ahead of the 2022 midterms and 2024 presidential election.

On Friday, former Vice President Mike Pence and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) took to Fox News’s airwaves to lambast the president’s move, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) called the mandates “an assault on private businesses” in a tweet.

Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee vowed on Thursday to sue the Biden administration over the mandates.

Nationwide polling shows vaccine mandates are generally popular, but Republicans see an opportunity to use the issue to appeal to their staunchest supporters.

“I think this is going to be a motivating factor,” said Republican strategist Keith Naughton. “In an off-year election it’s always hard to get people to turnout for the president except in a crisis, but you do get the people who are angry with him to turnout.”