Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is used to being told he is doing it wrong.
When he ran for governor in 2018, he was not the front-runner to become a Republican candidate. But he did. He was later criticized for being too attached to Donald Trump when he faced Andrew Gillum, the Democratic candidate. But DeSantis won again.
Now, however, the DeSantis administration is losing out on its fight to control the coronavirus outbreak in its state. Florida broke its previous record of daily coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, and the state health department confirmed nearly 14,000 new cases Thursday, the second-highest total in a single day since the pandemic began in March. If Florida were a country, it would be one of the largest hot spots in the world.
Mayors from the most affected areas of the state met with DeSantis this week, thanking him for helping the coronavirus, but also urged him to issue a state-wide mask mandate and show leadership.
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said: “I think we need a sense of urgency in our community right now, a real sense of urgency, and I think it must come from the president, from the governor.”
The Orlando Sentinel editorial board wrote this week: “If the coronavirus was a hurricane, it seemed to hit Category 5 status over the weekend. More than ever, Florida needs determined and determined guidance to overcome this storm.
Instead, Ron DeSantis continues to get confused and making his way. For every good move, there have been too many mistakes. ”
Although the number of cases has been largely driven by younger people, the state has seen more than 4,600 deaths so far, and there has been a 74% increase in coronavirus cases in assisted living and nursing facilities, a Particularly alarming statistic for Florida’s older population.
However, DeSantis claimed this week that the media had fueled complacency among residents, describing the increasing cases as “a failure” while acknowledging: “We are now at a higher failure than in May and early June. “
And while governors in deep red states like Alabama and Arkansas change course as their cases increase, pause or reverse reopening plans, and issue mandatory mask orders, the Florida governor is not expected to do the same.
In many ways, DeSantis, who is sometimes referred to as a “mini-Trump,” has sided with the president about the government during the pandemic. Pressured to reopen schools as soon as possible, despite widespread security concerns, he was slower than other governors to issue an initial order to stay home, and has championed the reopening of the economy at all times, including supporting the reopening of Disney World in Orlando last week.
DeSantis, a former lieutenant commander in the Navy with Yale and Harvard degrees, served three terms in the United States House of Representatives before running for governor. He framed his candidacy around his support for Trump, and continues to maintain close and positive ties to the President.
After winning the governorship, DeSantis enjoyed a brief honeymoon, and some Democrats approved of the steps he took in the environment and schools. He obtained bipartisan support to sign a teacher salary increase.
“After he was elected, he made some moves that would be considered environmentally friendly, referring to the Everglades,” said Florida Democratic National Committee member Alan Clendenin. “And that made some people make fun of them to make them believe that we have a new type of governor. But we don’t.
DeSantis is often described as smart by both his critics and his allies, who defend his strategy in the outbreak.
“He is really smart, and he distills complex information, processes it very quickly and makes it a relatively quick decision. There is a level of impatience, ”said Florida State Senator Tom Lee, who sometimes quarreled with the governor.
“He is on the move and not afraid to make decisions.”
Republicans also describe him as a small government or libertarian type of republican, and point to it as part of the logic behind his approach.
Florida-based Republican strategist Brett Doster said: “He emphatically believes that there is a serious role … in fact, perhaps the government’s primary serious role is to protect people.” To put public safety first. That is the government’s priority. And that’s a pretty conservative ideal. “
Doster added: “That being said, he is also a libertarian and a free market libertarian, and now we are dealing with a conflict between, I think, trying to address public security concerns, which is an appropriate role for the government, in its mind, but also this notion that government should not meddle in free markets and shut everything down. “
DeSantis’ office did not respond to multiple Guardian inquiries.
DeSantis’ approval ratings are still above water level, unlike Trump, who now follows presidential rival Joe Biden.
Two recent polls found the Florida governor’s favorable above 50%. But they are slipping. A Cygnal survey conducted for the Alliance of Market Solutions in late June found that its unfavorable rating had risen from 28.5% to 40.5%. A July Fox News poll found DeSantis’ unfavorable ratings rise from 33% to 40%.
But as unwanted statistics have accumulated, DeSantis has intruded. He blamed the unwanted data results for a misunderstanding of what to report. She banned a reporter from a press conference after she requested social distancing. at the Governor’s briefings. And he has argued that increasing cases should not cause alarm.
Rebekah Jones worked in the DeSantis administration as the board manager for the Covid-19 data state public resource. She was fired for, according to Jones, not manipulating the data. DeSantis has denied that criticism. Jones has set up her own data screen since she was fired.
In an email to The Guardian, Jones said: “When every expert says that masks should be mandatory, and no action is taken immediately, or even after the single-day biggest increase in cases in this country to date. “The scientists conducting the investigation, the medical staff caring for the sick, and the people of Florida who ultimately pay the price for their indefensible unwillingness to hear the facts have been failed.”
She said: “People who work under DeSantis’ political appointments don’t respect him, they see his staff as incompetent jerks and they come to me with details about how negligent the state is because they don’t trust anyone who works for him and they’re scared to be fired if they talk. “
But his allies positively describe his administration of the pandemic and say he has made decisions based on science and data, and within the limits of conservative orthodoxy.
Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz said in an interview: “I believe that Governor DeSantis has demonstrated strong leadership and has used partnerships at the local level effectively. It does not have heavily armed communities.
Frankly, the governor understands the limit of the government’s power to alter behavior. If people in rural North Florida are not going to wear a mask, some Tallahassee pronouncements are not going to alter that behavior. “
DeSantis is often mentioned as a possible presidential candidate for 2024 by Republicans and Democrats.
“He wants to be president,” said Clendenin. “He is one of these Manchurian candidates. Everything he has done is based on a plan. “
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