Eric Boehlert: DeSantis bullies teenagers and the press plays dumb

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://pressrun.media/p/desantis-bullies-teenagers-and-the?s=w

Barrelling into camera view at full speed on Wednesday, Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis lit into a group of assembled Tampa area students from Middleton High School who were selected to stand behind him while he announced a $20 million investment in cybersecurity workforce education. With his voice raised and his index finger pointed, he bullied and mocked the teenagers who opted to wear masks inside the school.

"You do not have to wear those masks," the angry governor announced. "I mean, please take them off. Honestly, it's not doing anything. We've got to stop with this COVID theater. So if you want to wear it fine, but this is ridiculous." He then turned to the lectern, let out an dramatic, annoyed huff, shook his head and began the press conference.

The next day, DeSantis used his attack on children to create a campaign ad and a fundraising appeal, suggesting the confrontation may have been premeditated by his political team. And the press let him get away with it by whitewashing the ugly event.

The hypocrisy on display was off the charts — conservatives like DeSantis for a year have railed against mask mandates for schools, demanding that individual parents and students ought to decide. It’s about personal choice! But when DeSantis saw teens opting to wear masks inside, he became unglued and told them they looked like fools, blowing away the GOP’s “choice” rhetoric.

According to CDC data, Hillsborough County in Florida, where DeSantis held his event Wednesday, remains an area with high levels of the coronavirus in the community and where masks are recommended indoors. “It’s just shocking that the governor told these kids ‘Take off your mask,’” said Dawn Marshall, the mother of a Middleton student who was behind DeSantis. “He pretty much said take off your mask, it’s stupid, and take off your mask, your parents don’t matter.”

*snip*

[CrispyQ]

1. We better hope Trump never endorses this guy. -nt

[JI7]

2. Trump sees him as a threat to his own agenda

[CrispyQ]

3. He does right now, but things could change.

Of course I'd rather see the two of them go after each other, but I'm thinking if Trump's health fails he might throw his endorsement to someone else in hopes of getting in one last grift.