Staff Reports
The Trump campaign has fired back against one of Ron DeSantis’ latest attacks by presenting research that shows the Florida governor had once praised former White House official Dr. Anthony Fauci, according to a document obtained by the Daily Caller. DeSantis has been trying to differentiate himself from his 2024 rival, Trump, by repeatedly saying that he would have fired Fauci, who he claims has “destroyed millions of people’s lives” during the pandemic. However, the Trump campaign’s research document, called “Ron DeSantis’ Lying Record on COVID,” points to two tweets made by DeSantis in March 2020 where he praised Fauci’s work.
Is this a good defense? https://t.co/QgUijlpbCg
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) May 31, 2023
Despite DeSantis’ attempts to distance himself from Fauci, a recent poll found that a majority of Independent voters wanted Fauci to step down from office in January 2022. The Florida governor’s campaign did not immediately respond to the Caller’s inquiries, and DeSantis’ Super PAC, Never Back Down, dismissed Trump’s claims as “BS.”
Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci agree; there is too high a risk that travelers from the NY Tri-State Area have been exposed to #COVID19. I appreciate their support for my executive order requiring such individuals flying into FL to self-quarantine for 14 days.https://t.co/dL3JIQ02DH
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 25, 2020
Here is a useful overview of what we know regarding #COVID19, courtesy of Doctors Fauci, Lane and Redfield: https://t.co/fWxiIVyRwq
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 3, 2020
https://twitter.com/MattWolking/status/1663909841004380163?s=20
The Trump campaign’s main line of attack against DeSantis has been his history of supporting vaccines and lockdowns. Trump has criticized DeSantis’ COVID-19 response, arguing that the governor “changed his tune a lot” on vaccines and that Florida was closed for a long period of time. Trump also pointed out that DeSantis shut down beaches in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Despite these criticisms, DeSantis has argued that Florida’s COVID-19 policies set it apart from the rest of the country by opposing school closures as early as July 2020 and reopening businesses. DeSantis has also gone further than some federal government suggestions, imposing strict travel restrictions for travelers from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Louisiana and setting up police checkpoints on highways.
President Trump, on the other hand, saved millions of lives, opposed mandates, and embraced the Federalist system to allow States to make decisions best for their people. The Trump campaign’s document reads, “Ron DeSantis continues to lie about his record, as he personally oversaw mass vaccinations and imposed radical lockdowns.” DeSantis’ claims that he stood up, cut against the grain, and took incoming fire from various groups, including the media, bureaucracy, and even some Republicans, further prove the inconsistency of his COVID-19 response.
