Donald Trump has already angered parts of his voter base just days into his second term as president after announcing support for AI-powered cancer-curing vaccines that could be 'personalized' to each individual.
Who would have thought that curing cancer would have been a controversial political position to hold, yet Trump's latest announcement has managed to ruffle the feathers of many within his own voter base as they appear to be staunchly against jabs of any kind.
They didn't stir at alleged Nazi salutes or accusations of a cryptocurrency scam, but instead signs of rebellion have emerged after President Trump okayed a $500,000,000,000 AI plan that would, among other things, aim to 'cure cancer'.
The project, titled 'Stargate', has been described by Trump as the 'largest AI infrastructure project in history' and is a joint venture between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, as reported by Newsweek.
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Not only will it allegedly create "over 100,000 American jobs almost immediately," but it will also pave the way to technology that could not only detect cancer within the body but also customize bespoke mRNA vaccines that would specifically target cells on a patient-by-patient basis.
This would obviously be a major step forward for both science and public health if it was achieved, yet large portions of Trump supporters have warned the president that he will lose support if he goes ahead with this project.
Coming off the back of the COVID-19 pandemic anti-vax conspiracies were allowed to spiral and have cemented themselves within a large part of the Republican voter base across America.
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Despite this, Trump has never truly shied away from vaccines - even in the face of boos after revealing his own vaccinations - and this new move only reaffirms that the president might hold slightly different views than some of the most vocal in his fan base.
What remains confusing and perhaps contradictory is Trump's appointment of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as United States Secretary of Health, as the politician and former presidential candidate is an extremely prominent anti-vaxxers.
Supporters on X have expressed their distaste for this decision by Trump, with one declaring: "I hate the talk of mRNA... It's so dumb... I wish someone would talk to Trump... Where is RFK? He better get in there and shut all this trash down!"
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Another bizarrely argues: "Trump or not, mRNA vaccines will not be accepted b the majority. It's time to stop funding a 'cure' and focus on the cause."
It's certainly odd that there remains so much pushback against what would be a life-changing breakthrough for millions across the US, but it's clear that this is something that Trump will need to content with if he wishes to retain the support of voters throughout his second term.