FLASHBACK: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Pushed Lockdowns, Vaccines, Shut Down Churches Throughout COVID Pandemic

Big League Politics ^ | Nov 15, 2022 | Shane Trejo

[SoConPubbie]

A common trope from supporters of the likely presidential run of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is that he stopped COVID lockdowns in his state during the height of the pandemic while President Donald Trump was pushing them from the White House.

But the record shows that this is not what occurred. DeSantis used his authority as governor to enforce lockdowns, shuttering businesses, and use the power of the state to punish noncompliance with his edicts.

Video from June 2020 shows DeSantis threatening bars with revoking their liquor licenses unless they abided by his arbitrary restrictions enacted supposedly in the name of science:

For the folks who continue to insist that Florida was not locked down and, if it was, it was only for a couple weeks, here is @GovRonDeSantis in June of 2020 threatening Florida bars with losing their liquor licenses if they didn't follow pandemic restrictions. pic.twitter.com/CwyTuoIAkU

— SFDB (@sfdb) November 11, 2022

Additionally, pastors were arrested and thrown in jail because they held services during DeSantis’ lockdown. The DeSantis administration grotesquely infringed upon religious liberty and made a mockery of the 1st Amendment during the pandemic:

DeSantis, like Trump, has shilled hard for the experimental COVID-19 vaccines as well, assuring the public that they were safe for usage and would stop transmission when that turned out to be a lie.

“If you’re vaccinated and you test positive but you don’t get sick, well the name of the game is to keep people out of the hospital,” DeSantis said in July 2021. “Seventy-five percent of Floridians over the age of 50 have gotten shots, so we think that’s really, really positive.”

“If you are vaccinated, fully vaccinated, the chance of you getting seriously ill or dying from COVID is effectively zero,” he said “If you look at the people that are being admitted to hospitals, over 95% of them are either not fully vaccinated or not vaccinated at all. And so these vaccines are saving lives. They are reducing mortality.”

Big League Politics has reported about the RINO globalist mega donors currying favor with DeSantis, cajoling him to run for president in 2024 to upend the America First movement and divert grassroots energies into supporting traditional Republican politics:

“Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is quickly becoming the favorite of the globalist RINO mega donors who want to “move on” from Donald Trump.

Ken Griffin, a globalist RINO mega donor, talked to Politico about why he is backing DeSantis because he sees him as the vehicle to move on from Trump and his brand of populism that has made the GOP less hospitable for soulless corporations that have sold America down the river.

“He did a lot of things really well and missed the mark on some important areas,” Griffin said. “And for a litany of reasons, I think it’s time to move on to the next generation.”

Griffin has given $5 million to DeSantis’ gubernatorial re-election campaign in Florida. He is hoping that by buying favor with DeSantis, he can convince him to run in 2024 in an attempt to end the Trump revolution.

“Would I support him? The bigger question is, is he going to run? That bridge has to be crossed,” he said.

“He has a tremendous record as governor of Florida, and our country would be well-served by him as president,” Griffin added.

It is clear Donald Trump is intending to run for president again in 2024 from the comments he has made.

“Everybody, I promise you, in the very next — very, very, very short period of time, you’re going to be happy,” Trump said. “But first we have to win a historic victory for Republicans on Nov. 8.”

In addition to the RINO megadonors, the notorious former House Majority Leader Paul Ryan is also on board for DeSantis in 2024.”

Overall, DeSantis has an impressive record in Florida, but his record is being distorted in order to present him as a credible foil for President Trump’s presidential run in 2024. Trump is the candidate in 2024, and if DeSantis has the audacity to run against him, it will be the worst decision he could ever make for the America First movement as well as his own future ambitions.

[Sapwolf]

PA, AZ, MI, and GA elections were rigged massively, along with NV.

It is just a statistical truth, once the number crunchers/statisticians analyze the data.

However, the law in FL is much tighter so the fraud is less, therefore the election is MUCH closer to the peoples’ votes.

Stop the fraud and you will see that there was in fact a red wave.

But first...you must...stop the fraud. This will be VERY tough in those states I mentioned above.

[Basket_of_Deplorables]

“Ron did a phenomenal job. Everyone made some poor decisions early, save for Noem.”

Yup. She has her own issues, but was about the best on Covid. Ron was up there, though.

[Mouton]

I think kemp was first to reopen his state. Desantis was close behind. IMO be diesel derful job in Florida. I will vote for trump BUT I will not denigrate desantis . We’re Donald not running I will vote for desantis over any other candidate. He is no Romney.

[glennaro]

This is going to become vicious throughout the next two years. Let’s just see if the GOP leadership continues its delusional practice of thinking they can work with — much less negotiate with the Democrat/Communist Party which has clearly and publicly announced its intention to destroy anyone and every group that dares challenge the Left’s clearly and publicly announced objective to “fundamentally transform” our Republic and to render irrelevant our Constitution.

[joesbucks]

50%? The county and governor’s orders require gatherings, including those held by faith-based groups, to be fewer than 10 people to limit the spread of COVID-19. A livestream of Sunday’s three-and-a-half-hour church service showed scores of congregants. In a Facebook post, Howard-Browne said coronavirus “is blown totally way out of proportion.”

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/03/31/coronavirus-florida-megachurch-pastor-arrested-church-amid-orders/5093160002/

[Basket_of_Deplorables]

“This is going to be a long two years…”

Yup. And the FR pot-stirrers are already at it.

[matt04]

Exactly. Same with GA, also one of the first states to drop them once they realized it made little to no difference.

[NorthMountain]

This is going to become vicious throughout the next two years.

FReepers who add to the viciousness are part of the problem.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

There is a particular that wants to destroy/diminish every Republican who isn’t a certain someone.

[wiseprince]

Everyone did. Except Kristi Noem. She’s in a smaller conservative state.

[No.6]

>He pushed them in the beginning, because nobody understood what was happening. He was also the first one to stop one it became apparent that it wasn’t really a problem.

Yep. Not interested in the Trump vs. DeSantis fight the RINOs want — and IMO this article is part of that. Ooo DeSantis is a baddie, don’t like him!

Nonsense. He beat the hideous Gollum, er, Gillum, and led even red states in the reopening against constant and strong criticism and doom-saying by many.

In a similar way Trump listened to 30Pence and others in what looks like to me the impression that C19 was a purely foreign phenomenon, rather than a coordinated strategy to stop the MAGA agenda and install Brandon. 2022 has made it clear to everyone that the GOP establishment is happy to sabotage *itself* to keep regular Americans out, whether they’re left-wing Occupy Wallstreet types or normal MAGA types.

I am personally praying that, while competing (perhaps) for the nomination, they do so without rancor and with the shared purpose of advancing America. Time to resurrect Reagan’s “eleventh commandment” for this purpose.

[Runner4life]

No he wasn’t. If you want to be accurate it was Iowa Gov Kim Reynolds who was the first to get kids back in school and fully open up business. The Left called her Covid Kim for a reason. DeSantis just happens to be in a larger state. There are other Governors who did a better job than he did. He’s just the current darling of the Trump haters.

[dkGba]

I live in Florida and I cannot recall DeSantis being heavy handed or inappropriately unreasonable at any point in time. As information evolved so did his response. Some local governments within the state were much more heavy handed about it, not DeSantis. He stopped a lot of it from happening, like with the schools for example

[Basket_of_Deplorables]

“I wouldn’t support Ron DeSantis for President if he ran unopposed in the Republican primaries — and this has nothing to do with Trump.”

Ok, Albert’s child lol. You must be a lot of fun at parties. Heh.

Glad you’re not here with us in Florida. Please stay wherever you are. We here in FL love Desantis AND Trump.

I’ve met Ron a few times. Nothing phony or smarmy about him. He was known for loving a beer at a backyard barnecue, amd a good off-color joke.

[matt04]

CT no longer requires the jab, at least at Community or State Colleges, however UConn is somehow separate and I believe still requires it.

As you said Mass still has a jab mandate for colleges, but not a booster. However, if you don’t have the booster and are near someone with the Coof, and test negative for the Coof, you are still forced to quarantine for 5 days, but if you are boosted and don’t feel sick no test needed just pretend it didn’t happen.

[glennaro]

Good point.

I say, let the candidates and their supporters duke it out through the primaries to earn the opportunity to win it all in the 2024 election. [think: “Beat Bobby Flay”]

[House Atreides]

“ If you’re trashing Trump, you’re part of the problem.
If you’re trashing DeSantis, you’re part of the problem.
If you’re trashing Youngkin, you’re part of the problem.
Etc.

Don’t be part of the problem.”
***********************************************

Amen, my FRiend. You’re speaking truth.👏👏👏

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

They have been trying to tear down DeSantis ever since he got elected, and the result was a massive expansion in his margin of victory. The entire MSM was waiting for their chance to tear him to shreds over the response to the hurricane, and he acted it and didn't give them an inch.

Pretty sure he can take care of himself when it comes to the media.

[MinorityRepublican]

Governor Kemp opened Georgia, even earlier than Florida.

[Republican Wildcat]

DeSantis, like Trump, has shilled hard for the experimental COVID-19 vaccines as well, assuring the public that they were safe for usage and would stop transmission when that turned out to be a lie.

Ah, that propaganda - conflating 2020 and early 2021 with late 2021 and 2022. So who is this author for since they are bashing both Trump and DeSantis? Liz Cheney?