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'I Don't Want to Hear a Blip About COVID from You': DeSantis Rips Biden for Ignoring Duty, Failing to Secure Border

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was not having it when President Joe Biden tried to lecture him on implementing “the right” COVID-19 policies while the federal government is allowing hundreds of thousands of migrants, including those infected with the virus, into the United States.

At a Tuesday White House news conference, Biden said of the current COVID surge, “The escalation of cases is particularly concentrated in states with low vaccination rates.”

“Just two states, Florida and Texas, account for one-third of all new COVID-19 cases in the entire country,” the president said.

Well, before going any further, we must note that Texas and Florida are the second- and third-most-populous states in the country.

Additionally, both states experienced a major surge last July and August along with the rest of the South, while other regions of the nation did not, suggesting there is something seasonal in play.

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“These things have a pattern,” DeSantis said at a news conference last month, WPTV-TV reported. “We saw the pattern last summer. It’s similar. I think it started a little later. I think people should just be prepared for that.”

He predicted the cases would start trending down this month.

Florida’s seven-day average of new cases is high, at approximately 17,600 per day, while Texas’ is 10,800.

By comparison, the nation’s most populous state, Democratic-led California, experienced a seven-day average of nearly 10,000.

Do you agree with DeSantis regarding Biden needing to shut down the border?

The same surge pattern hit all three states last summer before there even was a vaccine, with Florida and Texas having higher peaks then too.

Contrary to what Biden claimed, Florida’s and Texas’ vaccination rates are not particularly low. They are middling, with Florida at 69.6 percent of adults with at least one jab (22nd among all the states) and Texas at 65.5 percent (ranked 30th).

Biden also called on governors like DeSantis to “get out of the way” of more restrictive COVID policies being implemented.

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“Look, we need leadership from everyone. 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.

“I say to these governors, please help. If you aren’t going to help, at least get out of the way of people who are trying to do the right thing. Use your power to save lives,” he added.

DeSantis fired right back at Biden’s COVID critique, directing the president’s attention to the southern border.

“I just want to say something quickly, you know, Joe Biden has taken to himself to try to single out Florida over COVID,” the governor said.

“This is a guy who ran for president saying he was going to, quote, ‘shut down the virus.’ And what has he done? He’s imported more virus from around the world by having a wide-open southern border. You have hundreds of thousands of people pouring across every month,” he added.

DeSantis pointed out that people have been apprehended from over 100 different countries. The Biden administration then sends them all over the U.S.

“Do you think they’re being worried about COVID for that? Of course not,” DeSantis said. “So he’s facilitating, who knows what new variants are out there, but I can tell you, whatever variants around the world, they’re coming across that southern border, and so he’s not shutting down the virus, he’s helping to facilitate it in our country.”

Meanwhile, Biden gets upset about Florida, the governor argued, because the state does not want to force children to wear masks in school or follow New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s lead and require proof of vaccination for customers dining indoors or going to the gym or other events.

“And so I think the question is, is we can either have a free society, or we can have a biomedical security state, and I can tell you, Florida, we’re a free state, people are going to be free to choose to make their own decisions about themselves, about their families, about their kids’ education and about putting food on the table,” DeSantis said.

“And Joe Biden suggests that if you don’t do lockdown policies, then you should quote, ‘get out of the way.’ But let me tell you this, 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,” the governor continued.

“If you’re trying to deny kids a proper in-person education, I’m going to stand in your way and I’m going to 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.”

DeSantis concluded by once again raising the issue of the open southern border.

“So why don’t you do your job?” he asked. “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.”

Lockdowns did not work last year, and the states that implemented them took the longest to recover economically.

DeSantis is providing sound leadership, and the rest of America would do well to look to him and not Biden regarding COVID policy.

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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