(CNSNews.com) - Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), now Democrat Joe Biden's running mate, said she doesn't trust anything President Trump says or might say about a COVID vaccine.
Trump later accused Harris and Biden of spreading "reckless anti-vaccine rhetoric."
Trump said his administration is "on track" to deliver a vaccine "before the end of the year and maybe even before November 1st."
"Would you trust that vaccine?" Dana Bash, host of CNN's "State of the Union," asked Harris on Sunday:
"I think that we have learned since this pandemic started, but really before that, that there's very little that we can trust that can comes out of Donald Trump's mouth," Harris responded.
"And so, no, I would not trust his word. I would trust the word of public health experts and scientists, but not Donald Trump."
Harris said she thinks public health experts and scientists "will be muzzled, they will be suppressed, they will be sidelined," because Trump is "grasping for whatever he can get, to pretend that he has been a leader on this issue, when he has not."
Bash asked Harris, "Let's just say there is a vaccine that is approved and even distributed before the election. Would you get it?"
"Well, I think that's going to be an issue for all of us," Harris replied.
"I will say that I would not trust Donald Trump. And it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of whatever he's talking about.
"I will not take his word for it. He wants us to inject bleach. I -- no, I will not take his word."
Harris said she would trust what Dr. Anthony Fauci says about a vaccine.
On the question of requiring students to get vaccinated before entering public schools, Harris said, "I will listen to the public health experts and hear what they have to say."
'Reckless anti-vaccine rhetoric'
President Trump on Monday said that Biden and Harris "should immediately apologize for the reckless anti-vaccine rhetoric that they are talking right now -- talking about endangering lives."
It undermines science, and what's happening is all of a sudden, you 'll have this incredible vaccine, and because of that fake rhetoric -- it is a political rhetoric, that's all it is.
Because now they see we have done an incredible job, and it's speed like nobody's ever seen before. This could have taken two or three years. And instead it’s going to be done in a very short period of time. Could even have it during the month of October.
So contrary to all of the lies, the vaccine -- they're political lies. They’ll say anything. And it is so dangerous for our country, what they say, but the vaccine will be very safe, very effective. And it will be delivered very soon. You could have a very big surprise coming up. I"m sure you will be very happy.