Working on the idea that he is trying to bait them. They need a way out of their failure, so they blame him. They arrest him and it appeases the left to listen to what is going down. He will then have the stage with an audience that is paying attention. First arrest will shock the world (fulfilled). He is protected (fulfilled)

I am working on the idea that he wants to bait them into giving him all the blame for the vaccine and maybe even arrest him at some point. Then the truth can come out.