Ron DeSantis Posts Pitch-Perfect Response to Media Pearl-Clutchers Over School Mask Nontroversy

As we previously reported, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis created quite the stir among the Usual Suspects on the left and in the mainstream press Wednesday during a visit to the University of South Florida when he told a group of high school students waiting for his arrival at the podium that they didn’t have to wear a mask if they didn’t want to.

“You do not have to wear those masks,” DeSantis said to them. “I mean, please take them off. Honestly, it’s not doing anything and we’ve gotta stop with this COVID theater. So if you want to wear it, fine, but this is ridiculous.”

For those who missed the moment, watch below:

NEW: @GovRonDeSantis annoyed with USF students—

"You do not have to wear those masks. 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."https://t.co/7j1Pb2hV53 @WFLA pic.twitter.com/ZIOyTHLOh3

— Evan Donovan (@EvanDonovan) March 2, 2022

As per the norm, the deliberate misreporting as to what actually happened has been widespread. For instance, WFLA reported that DeSantis “scolded” the students (he didn’t). CNN’s Chris Cillizza claimed DeSantis “yelled” at the students (he didn’t). The Hill alleged DeSantis “chided” the students (he didn’t).

Sensing an opportunity to ding DeSantis at a time when it looks like his reelection bid will be smooth sailing, the notoriously anti-DeSantis Florida press corps did their thing, with some outlets reaching out to fauxfended parents who proclaimed that DeSantis shouldn’t be telling their kids what to do (even though he did no such thing).

Fortunately, DeSantis isn’t the type of guy to go quietly into the night when under attack by the dishonest partisan hacks in the media. On Thursday, he posted the below video clip which first showed his comments from Wednesday and then juxtaposed them alongside other clips of Democrats including President Biden, 2022 Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams, and California politicians like Gov. Gavin Newsom all without masks, while also noting that some Democratic governors are now taking a page out of his playbook by turning away from mask mandates. The video ends with remarks DeSantis made at CPAC about how Florida “led when it counted” during the pandemic:

The political science show cannot go on.

It’s curtain call for COVID theater. pic.twitter.com/CoUIC6NX83

— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantisFL) March 3, 2022

That’s a rock-solid response to the “Branch Covidians” in the press who selectively criticize politicians on the mask issue based on their political party affiliation. Now, these same media types will defend themselves by telling you that they “cover” stories about maskless Democrats, but remember, those stories are almost always based on the Republican reaction to the Democrat caught going maskless, rather than the story itself. I call it the “pounce and seize” effect. In those instances, if there was no Republican reaction then there would be no story as far as the media was concerned.

In any event, DeSantis is right. The mask theater gets more absurd by the day which even some purported medical experts who the media have routinely relied on are now saying. This is why he urged those students to do what they felt was best for them. Good for him, and shame on the politically-motivated “journalists” and leftist commentators who turned what happened Wednesday into something it wasn’t.