Florida Republican Governor, Ron DeSantis warned President Joe Biden on Wednesday, saying “I don’t want to hear a blip about COVID” until the administration’s border policy changes.
Gatekeepers News reports that DeSantis, during his speech on Florida’s economy at an event in Panama City, accused the White House of trying to implement a “biomedical security state”.
He claimed Biden was trying to “single out” Florida over its rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
“This is a guy who ran for president saying he was gonna ‘shut down the virus’. And what has he done?” DeSantis questioned. “He’s imported more virus from around the world by having a wide-open southern border.
“I can tell you, whatever variants are around the world, they’re coming across that southern border,” the governor added. “And so, he’s not shutting down the virus, he’s helping to facilitate it in our country.”
On CDC’s recommendation that masks should be worn in all K-12 schools by students, teachers, staff and visitors, DeSantis said: “I can tell you in Florida, the parents are going to be the ones in charge of that decision.”
DeSantis’ unwillingness to initiate mask or vaccine mandates is a sore point with the administration, which has frequently pointed out this week that one-third of all new COVID-19 cases are from Florida and Texas — both states with prominent GOP governors who are recognised potential White House contenders in 2024.
“If some governors aren’t willing to do the right thing to beat this pandemic, then they should allow businesses and universities who want to do the right thing to be able to do it,” Biden said on Tuesday in response to pushback against mask and vaccine mandates.
“I say to these governors, ‘Please, help.’ But if you aren’t going to help, at least get out of the way of the people who are trying to do the right thing. Use your power to save lives,” the President added.
DeSantis on Wednesday claimed Biden was trying to copy New York’s sweeping vaccine mandate, in which “restaurants should ban young kids from being able to go in because they’re not eligible for vaccination, and law-abiding citizens have to produce proof of their medical records just to go to the gym or attend an event, or just to participate in everyday society.
“He wants that, but yet if you want to vote, he thinks it’s too much of a burden to show a picture ID when you’re voting,” the governor went on. “So no voter ID, but you have to show your medical papers just to be able to live an everyday life? Give me a break.”
DeSantis added that America faces a choice between being a “free society, or we can have a biomedical security state. And I can tell you, Florida, we’re a free state.”
The governor further issued a warning to the administration: “If you’re coming after the rights of parents in Florida, I’m standing in your way. I’m not going to let you get away with it. If you’re trying to deny kids a proper in-person education, I’m gonna stand in your way and I’m gonna stand up for the kids in Florida.
“If you’re trying to restrict people, impose mandates, if you’re trying to ruin their jobs and their livelihoods and their small business, if you are trying to lock people down, I am standing in your way, and I’m standing for the people of Florida.
“So why don’t you do your job? Why don’t you get this border secure, and until you do that, I don’t want to hear a blip about COVID from you.”
Gatekeepers News reports that DeSantis’ fiery speech follows a tweet by White House press secretary Jen Psaki, which stated that: “23% of new COVID hospitalizations in the U.S are in Florida, and their hospitals are being overwhelmed again.
“We are doing everything we can to help the people of FL, and they’re stepping up by getting vaccinated – we hope @GovRonDeSantis joins us in this fight.”
