Annoyed by the sight of students wearing masks at his press conference Wednesday, Governor Ron DeSantis encouraged them to remove the face coverings, calling their use “COVID theater.”
“You don’t have to wear those masks,” DeSantis said in video captured by WFLA News Channel 8, Tampa’s NBC station. “Please take them off. Honestly, it doesn’t do anything. We have to stop this Covid theater. So if you want to wear it, fine, but this is ridiculous.”
DeSantis then shakes his head in seemingly frustration before starting the press conference at the University of South Florida, which he attended to win $20 million in funding for cybersecurity training. According to the video, at least two people have removed their masks at the request of the governor.
The governor has banned mask mandates in Florida schools. His comments to the students are evidence of his disdain for even the voluntary wearing of masks, and his distrust of the science behind it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new mask guidelines last week that no longer recommend wearing a mask indoors for most people in many parts of the country — places where the “COVID-19 community level” is considered low or moderate. .
However, the CDC still considers much of Florida — including the Tampa area that DeSantis visited Wednesday — to have a high COVID-19 community level and recommends that everyone wear masks indoors in these areas when in public areas. located.
DeSantis continues to blame Biden for Russian invasion of Ukraine
DeSantis also continued to blame President Joe Biden for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at the press event, while praising the country’s fighters on Wednesday and carrying out a dig in France.
DeSantis said Russian President Vladimir Putin likely decided to invade Ukraine after witnessing the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“I believe the decision to enter Ukraine was probably made last summer while looking at what happened in Afghanistan… how Biden dealt with it,” DeSantis said at an event in Tampa.
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DeSantis has taken up Ukraine’s talking points adopted by many GOP leaders, blaming Biden for the invasion and calling for more energy production in the United States to limit Putin’s influence over the world’s reliance on Russian oil and gas. The governor also discussed the Ukrainian resistance on Wednesday.
“When you see people willing to fight, I mean it’s inspiring to see these people just grab guns that are civilians and go out and fight to fend off the Russian military,” DeSantis said. world, they just fold the moment there is any kind of adversity. I mean, could you imagine if they went to France they would do something to fight? Probably not.”
DeSantis criticized ‘authoritarian rule’ in places with more restrictive COVID public health measures
Last week, the day Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, DeSantis criticized the “authoritarian rule” in places like Canada and Australia that have more restrictive COVID-19 public health measures.
DeSantis also offered his rebuttal to Biden’s State of the Union address Tuesday.
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Biden said fighting inflation is a “top priority” and tried to steer his party away from unpopular stances on immigration and policing, saying he wants to “fund the police” and secure the southern border.
DeSantis said Biden’s policies have contributed to inflation and immigration problems, and accused his administration of being soft on crime.
“So many of these problems have been caused by Biden and his administration since he took office,” DeSantis said.
Follow Herald-Tribune Political Editor Zac Anderson on Twitter at @zacjanderson. He can be reached via [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: DeSantis tells Tampa students face masks are ‘COVID theater’
