Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference on the dismissal of 9th Judicial Circuit Florida prosecutor Monique Worrell in Tallahassee, Fla., on Aug. 9, 2023. (Ron DeSantis/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)
Posted on 09/09/2023 9:37:01 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Former President Donald Trump responded to questions about why he did not terminate the employment of former National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director Anthony Fauci amid the early onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, President Trump was asked about Dr. Fauci, who had been on the Trump pandemic response force, in 2020. "First of all, you’re not allowed," the former president said when asked why he didn't fire him, which Mr. Hewitt said was the "biggest knock" on his presidency.
"No, no, no, Dr. Fauci was there. First of all, he’s civil service, and you’re not allowed to fire him. But forget that because I don’t necessarily go by everything … but Dr. Fauci would tell me things, and I wouldn’t do them in many cases. But also, he wasn’t a big player in my administration," President Trump said. "Dr. Fauci became a big player in the administration of Biden. He’s a very big player in Biden’s administration."
The former president has received some criticism—namely from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—for not firing Dr. Fauci, who ultimately became a controversial figure during the pandemic for his often dire predictions about the course of the virus. The former public health official also often recommended people wear masks, get the vaccines, and defended COVID-19-related lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.
In response to President Trump's comments this week, Mr. DeSantis dismissed the former president's arguments that he couldn't fire him. He said that President Trump's comment differs from the ones he gave about Dr. Fauci in the past.
"It's important to point out for a long time that was not his excuse," Mr. DeSantis told the Rubin Report on Wednesday. "His excuse had been that if you fired Fauci, both the Democrats and the media would have pitched a fit, which, of course, is 100 percent true."
"But that's the price of leadership. You got to stand up and do what's right," the governor continued to say. "Clearly, he could have been fired from the White House Task Force. There was no obligation to run him out at press conference after press conference, have him doing media interviews."
During the pandemic, Mr. DeSantis grew a national profile for ending COVID-19 lockdowns early and reopening businesses while also backing laws that would prevent vaccine or mask mandates, or any new lockdowns. However, like other governors around the United States, Mr. DeSantis in March 2020 ordered a statewide lockdown due to the virus before he rescinded it several months later.
"During the height of the COVID stuff in 2020, Fauci would do local hits in Florida media attacking me for having schools open and some of these other stuff," he told the Rubin Report. "So, there was no obligation to do that. I think you could have also fired him from NIH because he had basically committed misconduct with the gain of function [research]."
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a press conference on the dismissal of 9th Judicial Circuit Florida prosecutor Monique Worrell in Tallahassee, Fla., on Aug. 9, 2023. (Ron DeSantis/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)
But President Trump said that Mr. DeSantis "shut down Florida," and the state "was tight as a drum." He added: "He had vax lines. He was vaxxing everything. Now, he talks about the vaccinations this and that."
"And let me tell you the other thing. I will send you, after this conversation, five articles about how much he loves Dr. Fauci," he continued. "'I do what Dr. Fauci says. This is Ron DeSantimonious. I do what Dr. Fauci says.' That’s what he says. And I’ve got the articles here. But he doesn’t like to go back."
The spat over Dr. Fauci, who stepped down from his federal government positions in late 2022, comes as some hospitals, schools, and businesses have reinstated mask mandates. In a Thursday news conference, the Florida governor announced that there won't be any new mandates in his state, reiterating a prior stance he has taken.
The former president added: "To every covid tyrant who wants to take away our freedom, hear these words: we will not comply, so don't even think about it. We will not shut down our schools; we will not accept your lockdowns; we will not abide by your mask mandates; and we will not tolerate your vaccine mandates.
“Even today, parts of our country are forcing children to wear masks in the classroom,” Mr. DeSantis told the news conference. “Those mandates are [dead on arrival’ in Florida, and we will protect parents and children from this perpetual COVID hysteria.”
As for President Trump, he released a video several days ago saying that Americans should "not comply" with any lockdowns, mandates, or other COVID-19 rules.
"The left-wing lunatics are trying very hard to bring back COVID lockdowns and mandates with all of their sudden fearmongering about the new variants that are coming," he said. "Gee whiz, you know what else is coming? An election."
The former president continued: "To every COVID tyrant who wants to take away our freedom, hear these words: we will not comply, so don't even think about it. We will not shut down our schools; we will not accept your lockdowns; we will not abide by your mask mandates; and we will not tolerate your vaccine mandates.
Quecertin. Check what it does. And the banana nut bread and cranberry juice is killer too. I burn through a lot of it. Regards
You don’t fire him, you promote him and send him to Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska.
Gov. DeSantis only closed the 3 or so major beach areas that spring breakers traditionally mob. He left all of the other beaches’ status up to the local governments.
I think most of us understand what Pres. Trump and the governors were up against, so Trump should stop trying to rewrite history. It’s not reflecting well on him.
Trump is a populist, mot a conservative.
When people are fully invested in a cult figure any remote criticism, except to be met with an avalanche of insults and accusations coming your way
This reminds me of how the Scientologists feel about L. Ron Hubbard and the Church of Scientology
In the Church of Scientology many their employees, the 100% true believers sign billion year contracts
Let me guess...because like everything else Trump says ‘it was somebody else’s fault?”
Other than that, do you have inside information?
So, Fauxi wasn’t a political appointee?
I hope he never stops posting to you, snowflake.
“Fauxi wasn’t a political appointee?”
IIRC, he was a regular employee who “worked his way up” the career ladder over many decades.
I view the fire or no fire Fauci as a BS diversion from the horrendous ramifications to humanity sustained by the death shots. No one wants to address this issue because they are all culpable. Lockdowns are one thing but worldwide murder and maiming are on a different scale altogether. Now we have a government implicated in the Maui Massacre and no one wants to talk about it. If you are inclined, go to the Prather Point with Jeff Prather and see his latest video interview with a techie who has plotted two or three Chinese satellites with DEWs that circled the earth and passed right over the top of Lahaina on August 8. What do we hear from our government on this - crickets? That’s because they are likely in on it.
Hindsite is always easy, the pains was in the media 24/7, reports from all over the world,Fauci caused the mess,people still either don’t know that or choose to ignore it.
Fauci was performing again of Function research in the U.S. on Ferretts,when all of them died suddenly.
Obama found out about his dangerous research,he shut it down!
That’s when Fauci went to Peter Daszak at Ecco Health Alliance to continue the dangerous research,the rest is what we’re dealing with.
Trump would probably have been impeached if he fired Fauci.the Country was in a panic,Fauci was the Highest ranking man in the Government dealing with all of this,you fire him? What the hell do you think the reaction would have been then
Trump is good, I’m a voter and I’ll vote again if he gets the nom.
However the loyalists to him are a little blind. He really is not overly conservative. I could give many examples but I will stick to one so as to avoid being called a Trump hater by his army here.
He picked 3/3 moderates for the SCOTUS…not a SINGLE true replacement for the great conservative Anthony Scalia. Why? He had BOTH the house and senate for 2 years, when he picked 2/3.
IMHO…so far…Desantis seems more conservative than Trump.
Thx. I was under the impression he was.
These short videos show exactly how DeSantis reacted to Fauci — and Trump.
Praise and gratitude video:
https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1699811180380909774
Remember this?
Two years ago today, @GovRonDeSantis became a “Lockdown Governor” when he issued a stay-at-home order for Floridians.”. (Listen to what RDS says about his explaining the lockdown to President Trump toward the end of the video)
https://twitter.com/sfdb/status/1509857474903527437
Here’s video of DeSantis in June 2020 calling Fauci’s directives “important” & threatening to revoke licenses of FL businesses that didn’t comply.” (Video)
https://twitter.com/LauraLoomer/status/1632477718351675393
And ....
Lockdowns. Armed Checkpoints. School Shutdowns. Beach and Business Closures. (Video)
https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1641192739323650048
Ron DeSantis supported vaccines and strongly pushed them well after Trump left office. Here’s Ronny on Jul 22, 2021 (Video)
https://twitter.com/TAftermath2020/status/1692222808582160850
Don’t care. Still voting Trump.
Stop it Al.ready. You are not going to persuade Trump supporters to back some globalist deepstate backed candidate. He flies this thing or your party crashes and burns. Even Donna Brazil gets iit.
FLASHBACK: DeSantis Admits SLOWER COVID Reopening Than Trump White House Suggested.
Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis admitted that it took him longer to fully re-open the state of Florida than former President Donald Trump recommended during the COVID-19 pandemic, archive video from the Governor’s social media has revealed.
Last month, DeSantis attacked Trump’s record on COVID after the former President called the Governor of Florida’s pandemic response “average.”
However, at the height of the pandemic in 2020, DeSantis accepted that he didn’t listen to the White House’s advice, keeping Florida closed for longer than was necessary.
“When we announced phase one, we followed the White House’s guidelines, but we didn’t even do everything they said we could do in Phase 1… so it was a limited Phase 1, it was a safe Phase 1, it was a smart step, but it was done step by step,” DeSantis argued.
Indeed, Florida was one of the later Republican states to lift lockdown restrictions. In fact, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alaska, Georgia, Oklahoma, Alabama, Indiana, Montana, South Carolina, and Texas all began opening up before DeSantis’s home state.
More w/video:
https://thenationalpulse.com/2023/06/21/flashback-desantis-admits-slower-covid-reopening-than-trump-white-house-suggested/
Here are a few quotes from DeSantis you may ave missed:
Praise and gratitude video:
https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1699811180380909774
Remember this?
Two years ago today, @GovRonDeSantis became a “Lockdown Governor” when he issued a stay-at-home order for Floridians.”. (Listen to what RDS says about his explaining the lockdown to President Trump toward the end of the video)
https://twitter.com/sfdb/status/1509857474903527437
Here’s video of DeSantis in June 2020 calling Fauci’s directives “important” & threatening to revoke licenses of FL businesses that didn’t comply.” (Video)
https://twitter.com/LauraLoomer/status/1632477718351675393
And ....
Lockdowns. Armed Checkpoints. School Shutdowns. Beach and Business Closures. (Video)
https://twitter.com/TrumpWarRoom/status/1641192739323650048
Ron DeSantis supported vaccines and strongly pushed them well after Trump left office. Here’s Ronny on Jul 22, 2021 (Video)
https://twitter.com/TAftermath2020/status/1692222808582160850
I came to post that.
People have such selective memories it borders on lying.
I read these threads to observe the contortions Trumpies assume to defend him.
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