White House adviser says Biden will 'run over' GOP governors resisting vaccine mandate

President Joe Biden will "run over" Republican governors who oppose his COVID-19 vaccine mandate, White House senior adviser Cedric Richmond said Thursday.

The former Democratic Louisiana congressman told CNN's "Don Lemon Tonight" that the administration "won't let one or two individuals stand in the way" of saving American lives with the COVID-19 vaccine, Fox News reported.

"The one thing I admire about this president is the fact that we are always going to put people above politics. And we're going to fight for those who really need our help," Richmond said, responding to a question regarding governors who resist the mandate, The Epoch Times reported.

"And those governors that stand in the way, I think, it was very clear from the president's tone today that he will run over them," he added. "And it is important. It's not for political purposes. It's to save the lives of American people. And so, we won't let one or two individuals stand in the way. We will always err on the side of protecting the American people."

The COVID-19 vaccine mandate Biden announced Thursday will require all employers with over 100 workers to have them vaccinated or tested weekly for COVID-19, which affects about 80 million Americans. He also signed executive orders to require all executive branch employees and federal government contractors to get vaccinated, and they do not have an option to take a COVID-19 test, instead.

A few Republican governors said on Thursday that they will resist Biden's vaccine mandate.

"My legal team is standing by ready to file our lawsuit the minute Joe Biden files his unconstitutional rule," South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem wrote on Twitter. "This gross example of federal intrusion will not stand."

Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia said he will "pursue every legal option available" to stop the "blatantly unlawful overreach," according to The Epoch Times.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey said he will "push back" against the vaccine mandate, and that the "Biden-Harris administration is hammering down on private businesses and individual freedoms in an unprecedented and dangerous way. This will never stand up in court.

"This dictatorial approach is wrong, un-American and will do far more harm than good. How many workers will be displaced? How many kids are kept out of classrooms? How many businesses fined? The vaccine is and should be a choice," The Epoch Times reported.