Calling it ‘COVID theater’ DeSantis asks high school students to remove masks at event

Irked by the sight of high school students wearing masks at his press conference Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis encouraged them to remove the facial coverings, calling their use “COVID theater.”

“You do not have to wear those masks,” DeSantis said in video captured by WFLA News Channel 8, Tampa’s NBC station. “Please take them off. Honestly, it’s not doing anything. We’ve gotta stop with this Covid theater. So if you wanna wear it, fine, but this is ridiculous.”

DeSantis then shakes his head in apparent frustration before launching into the press conference at the University of South Florida, which he visited to tout $20 million in funding for cybersecurity training. At least two students removed their masks at the governor’s request, according to the video.

The Hillsborough County School District said the students were from Middleton High School.

“As always, our students should be valued and celebrated,” Hillsborough Schools Superintendent Addison Davis said in a statement. “It is a student and parents’ choice to protect their health in a way they feel most appropriate. We are proud of the manner in which our students represented themselves and our school district.”

The governor has outlawed mask mandates in Florida schools. His remarks to the students is evidence of his disdain for even voluntary mask-wearing, and distrust of the science behind it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new mask guidance last week that no longer recommends indoor mask wearing for most people in many parts of the country – places where the “COVID-19 community level” is considered low or medium.

The CDC still considers much of Florida – including the Tampa area where DeSantis was visiting Wednesday – to have a high COVID-19 community level, though, and recommends everyone wear masks indoors in these areas when in public spaces.

DeSantis continues to blame Biden for Russian invasion of Ukraine

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DeSantis also continued to blame President Joe Biden for the Russian invasion of Ukraine during the press event, while praising the country’s fighters Wednesday and taking a dig at France.

DeSantis said Russian President Vladimir Putin likely decided to invade Ukraine after witnessing how the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan played out.

“I believe that the decision to go into Ukraine was one that was probably made last summer as he’s watching what was happening in Afghanistan… how Biden handled that,” DeSantis said during an event in Tampa.

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DeSantis has echoed Ukraine talking points adopted by many GOP leaders, blaming Biden for the invasion and calling for more energy production in the United States to limit the leverage Putin has because of the world’s reliance on Russian oil and gas. The governor also touched on the Ukrainian resistance Wednesday.

“When you see people that are willing to fight, I mean it’s inspiring to see these people just grab rifles who are civilians and going out there and fighting to ward off the Russian Army,” DeSantis said. “A lot of other places around the world, they just fold the minute there’s any type of adversity. I mean could you imagine if they went into France, would they do anything to put up a fight? Probably not.”

DeSantis criticized ‘authoritarian rule’ in places that have more restrictive COVID public health measures

Last week, on the day Russia launched the invasion of Ukraine, DeSantis criticized “authoritarian rule” in places such as Canada and Australia that have more restrictive COVID-19 public health measures.

DeSantis also offered his rebuttal to the State of the Union speech Biden delivered Tuesday.

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Biden said that fighting inflation is a “top priority” and tried to steer his party from unpopular positions on immigration and police, saying he wants to “fund the police” and secure the southern border.

DeSantis said Biden’s policies contributed to inflation and immigration issues, and accused his administration of being soft on crime.

“So many of these problems have been created by Biden and his administration since he’s become president,” DeSantis said.

Follow Herald-Tribune Political Editor Zac Anderson on Twitter at @zacjanderson. He can be reached at zac.anderson@heraldtribune.com

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: DeSantis tells Tampa high school students masks are ‘COVID theater’