DeSantis argues Trump had no control over the government in final year of presidency
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis argued former President Donald Trump surrendered control and influence of a large portion of his federal government to Dr. Anthony Fauci from parts of 2020 to early 2021.
Speaking with Fox News’ Brett Baier, the governor sounded off on the former president’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I fought his administration to keep our state open… to have kids in school,” DeSantis said. “Fauci, the task force, all those people – they were sending me missives, even January of 2021 right before he left office, his task force was telling us in Florida to close.”
“He didn’t have control over his own government!” the governor added. “He didn’t have control over Fauci. Fauci ran that government his last year in office.”
“Trump should have fired him. He did not do that. He elevated Fauci and he made Fauci an international celebrity.”
DeSantis also said Trump used to praise his governorship.
“You go back a year or two – he would say what a great job I’ve done in Florida, how I’m one of the country’s great governors, how Florida is such a great state,” he said. “He always said that for years and years, until about three days before the midterm election, then he started to attack me; and I think it’s because he saw that we were going to win a big victory, and I think he viewed me as a political threat.”
Baier pressed DeSantis on recent comments from longtime consultant Ed Rollins, jumping ship and saying the governor’s campaign is failing.
“I think he’s a very flawed candidate,” Baier said, reading a quote from Rollins. “He’s not a particularly articulate candidate. He does not come off as warm and fuzzy when you get into those culture wars.”
“It’s obviously nonsense,” DeSantis replied. “I came into a state that had been decided by one point for a generation. You’ve covered some of those races, I governed boldly. I governed unapologetically. I delivered big results – and we won by 20 points.”
“When I hear about, oh, culture war – standing up for the rights of parents, standing up for the well being of children, that’s not some quote ‘culture war,’ that is central to the lives of tens of millions of people throughout this country.”
The governor also commented on his recently released economic plan, dubbed the “Declaration of Economic Independence.”
“We’re a country with an economy, not the other way around,” he told Baier. “If you work hard, if you play by the rules […] You should be able to succeed in this country.”
