Columbia Standard

Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham recently encouraged former President Donald Trump to implore his followers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine following Graham's own recovery from a breakthrough coronavirus infection, according to a Bloomberg report.

Graham, who tested positive for COVID-19 on Aug. 3, labeled the vaccination as "the antidote to the virus that's wreaking havoc on our hospitals."

“I talked to President Trump, he’s been checking in with me every day," Graham tweeted. "I told him, the #COVID19 vaccine was his biggest accomplishment. He broke down bureaucratic barriers to turn the vaccine into a reality!”

Graham stated that he tested positive days after meeting with a small number of Senate colleagues aboard Sen. Joe Manchin's houseboat Aug. 3, and that he began experiencing flu-like symptoms later that night.

Graham also believes his symptoms would've been considerably worse if he had not already received the vaccine.

When questioned if President Joe Biden would highlight Republican lawmakers' pro-vaccine statements, such as Graham's, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki replied that the vaccination "is not a political issue for us," adding, "We think it's great that he's out there talking about the vaccine's effect."

CNN reported in March that Trump received the COVID-19 vaccine in January.