Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida won't descend into a "Faucian dystopia" under his watch.
"Florida, we played an important role over the last three years," DeSantis, a potential 2024 GOP presidential contender, said at an event in Central Florida marking the three-year anniversary of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I think we were one of the first states to see the experts were getting it wrong, and we resolved to charge a different course. We are not going to let this state descend into a Faucian dystopia — not on our watch," he continued, referring to former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, who led the U.S. response to COVID-19.
Fauci pushed for lockdowns, mask mandates, and school closures during his tenure.
DeSantis also criticized medical experts' response to COVID-19, calling it a "woke virus."
"This was presumably a woke virus," he said to applause. "This took the mask off these people. Clearly, it's absurd you would take that position from a scientific perspective. It was really showing it was more about advancing an agenda and exerting control."
He also touted Florida's decision to reopen schools and businesses during the pandemic and to protect employers from "jab or job" mandates.
"We saved countless jobs due to our actions and kept businesses alive," the governor said. "We also rescued kids from being plunged into perpetual isolation. We forced the schools to be open in 2020 for all Florida students."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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