DeSantis slams Biden over COVID-19 and border response: 'Loses all credibility'
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis slammed President Joe Biden for what he considers hypocrisy in handling the COVID-19 pandemic because the administration is allowing illegal immigrants from all over the world to come into the country despite an uptick in infections.
On Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” Wednesday, DeSantis, a speculated 2024 GOP presidential candidate, said Biden “loses all credibility when it comes to COVID” after telling governors to “get out of the way.”
"This is a guy that ran for president saying he would shut down the virus,” DeSantis told Fox News. “He was not going to shut down America or the economy. He would shut down the virus. Yet what is he doing? He is bringing in people from over 100 different countries across the southern border.”
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"Every variant on this planet — some we don't even know about — are absolutely coming into our country that way,” the Republican continued.
"What they are doing is, people are coming, and they are farming them out all over the United States, putting them on busses, putting them on planes. When he is lecturing people about imposing COVID restrictions and lockdown policies on the one hand, and yet not only doing nothing to stop the border surge but actually facilitating it, on the other hand, he just loses all credibility."
DeSantis referred to Biden’s recent remarks when the president blamed “some governors” for being unwilling to defeat the pandemic. Biden's remark was a hit at DeSantis, who has resisted lockdown measures, restricted his state from allowing COVID-19 passports, made masks optional in schools and advocated for an open economy throughout the pandemic.
The White House has singled out Florida and Texas, led by GOP politicians DeSantis and Gov. Greg Abbott, as states that account for one-third of all new COVID-19 cases in the country.
“If some governors are unwilling 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. “I say to these governors, please help. And if you aren’t going to help, then please get out of the way for people who are trying to do the right thing.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki also took a jab at the governor of the Sunshine State Wednesday with a tweet claiming 23% of new COVID hospitalizations are in Florida.
“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,” Psaki tweeted.
DeSantis accused Biden of importing the virus with his border and immigration policies.
“Joe Biden has taken to himself to try to single out Flordia over COVID. … What has he done?" DeSantis said in a press conference. "He’s imported more virus from around the world by having a wide-open southern border."
DeSantis said he does not want to hear “a blip about COVID” from the president until the border is secure.
DeSantis said many of the immigrants arriving express a desire to “end up in Florida,” but the state receives no notification when immigrants or unaccompanied minors arrive.
The state is attempting to do investigations to track the immigrants arriving within its borders.
“Obviously, it’s an issue beyond COVID because it’s about the security of our country. But you can’t impose restrictions on Americans and say Americans have to do all these things and just ... let everyone in from around the world,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis shared that Florida has sent law enforcement to Texas to help with the border and that the vaccination rate for senior citizens in Florida is above 90%.
Over 58% of Floridians have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to USA Facts.
Emily Wood is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: [email protected]
