Topline
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) early response to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic was to issue some of the most stringent government-enforced restrictions of anywhere in the country, but the governor quickly dropped that approach and has not looked back, to the point where he’s been hailed as an anti-restriction hero on the right and staked a legal fight against Covid vaccines–here’s what went on and why.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) attends a news conference on December 16, 2020 in Pompano Beach, … [+]
Key Facts
DeSantis on Tuesday asked the Florida Supreme Court to approve a grand jury investigation into any “crimes and wrongdoing” in the state “related to the development, promotion and distribution” of Covid vaccines, and also announced he was creating a Florida Public Health Integrity Committee as a counter to federal agencies like the CDC.
The moves were the latest in a drastic messaging switch from the governor on vaccines, after saying at a May 2021 news conference, “The vaccines protect you. Get vaccinated and then live your life.”
DeSantis, like former President Donald Trump, was an early and vocal proponent of the vaccines, and was even embroiled in controversy in early 2021 after the state appeared to prioritize distributing some of the first doses of vaccines to areas where DeSantis had strong political support.
He received a Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine in April 2021, but by August of last year he was claiming vaccines weren’t “protecting against transmission to the extent that we had hoped,” and in October 2021 refused to say whether he planned to get a booster despite federal health guidelines recommending one.
The change in messaging came as poll after poll last year suggested vaccine skeptics made up a major chunk of the GOP’s base—more than 92% of American adults have now received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, but almost all of the states with the lowest vaccination rates are heavily red, according to the CDC.
DeSantis is expected to challenge Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, and his stance on vaccines may give him a rare opportunity of attacking Trump from the right, with a Trump advisor recently telling NBC News, “We know exactly what Ron is up to.”
Key Background
DeSantis’ shift to prioritizing an extreme position comes as he surges in polls, drawing support away from Trump. A Wall Street Journal survey published Wednesday showed DeSantis beating Trump 52%-38% in a hypothetical matchup, while holding an 86% favorability rating compared to Trump’s 74%. Trump has criticized issues like vaccine mandates but he’s remained steadfastly defensive of his Operation Warp Speed program that supported vaccine development, and he’s promoted the safety of the shots—positions that have at times put him at odds with supporters. Trump was booed at an event last year after saying he received a booster shot, and earlier this year called politicians who wouldn’t say whether they’ve received a booster “gutless,” in an apparent swipe at DeSantis. The governor seems to be the main Republican beneficiary of what was an extremely disappointing midterm election for the GOP, headlined by Trump-endorsed candidates losing several of the highest-profile contests. DeSantis, meanwhile, won reelection in a landslide, carrying 62 of the state’s 67 counties, including some formerly Democratic strongholds like Miami-Dade.
Tangent
DeSantis in March 2020 issued some of the most draconian Covid restrictions of anywhere in the U.S., requiring travelers from New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Louisiana to check in with law enforcement to assert their quarantine plans. DeSantis quietly dropped the travel ban later that year, after coming out strongly against restrictions like a mask mandate. Florida fully reopened restaurants and bars in September 2020—months before any other large state.
Further Reading
Trump Admits Getting Covid Vaccine Booster—After Earlier Saying He ‘Probably’ Wouldn’t (Forbes)
Trump Slams DeSantis? He Criticizes ‘Gutless’ Politicians Who Won’t Share Covid Booster Status (Forbes)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Refuses To Say Whether He’ll Get A Covid Vaccine Booster (Forbes)
GOP’s Divide Over Vaccines Driven By Skepticism Of Younger, Rural Republicans (Forbes)
Ron DeSantis Threatens To Pull Vaccines From Florida Counties That Criticize Distribution (Forbes)
Miami-Dade Goes Red: GOP Scores Massive Midterm Election Wins In Once-Democratic Stronghold (Forbes)
Covid Cases Spike In Florida As Bars And Restaurants Reopen At Full Capacity (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/12/15/desantis-flip-flops-from-covid-vaccine-supporter-to-most-powerful-critic-heres-what-happened/