As Florida deals with some of the highest rates of COVID-19 deaths, hospitalizations, and infections in the country, its Governor, Ron DeSantis, has chosen to spend his time mocking White House medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci by selling campaign merchandise.
The governor’s campaign team released the “Don’t Fauci My Florida” merchandise on Monday.
DeSantis is up for reelection in the 2022 Florida gubernatorial race and is said to be a potential Republican front-runner in the 2024 presidential election, Yahoo News reported.
He has been vocal against COVID-19 related lockdown measures and stands for keeping Florida schools and businesses running despite public-health experts’ call for social distancing.
In addition to his “Fauci” merchandise, he has other hats and t-shirts that read “Keep Florida Free.”
This isn’t the first time the governor has criticized Fauci. In June, Florida saw a plateau in reported cases as vaccinations became readily available. DeSantis took a moment to say Florida’s economy was also doing well because it didn’t follow the advice of Fauci, who also serves as the director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
“We’re going to end up probably having like $10 million in reserve once the new budget takes effect,” DeSantis said in June. “That would not have been possible if we had followed Fauci. Instead, we followed freedom. And that’s the reason Florida is doing better.”
DeSantis may have gloated too soon; the virus outlook in Florida has turned worrisome in recent weeks.
On Wednesday, Florida reported the highest number of COVID-19 deaths per capita in the county and ranked second-highest in daily reported cases, the Washington Post COVID-19 tracker reported.
