The War Is On: DeSantis Pushes Back, Ripping Trump's Assertion that 'Cuomo Did Better' During COVID Despite Nursing Home Controversy

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ripped into Former President Donald Trump’s attack, asserting that ex-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, had a superior COVID-19 response, despite Cuomo’s highly controversial nursing home crisis during the pandemic.

On Friday, Governor DeSantis responded robustly to Trump’s comment that Cuomo surpassed him in managing the COVID-19 crisis. DeSantis described Trump’s claim as “very bizarre,” reinforcing Florida’s successful response compared to other states.

“First of all, Florida had less excess mortality than California or New York,” DeSantis stated. “Part of that is because states like California had excess mortality derived from the lockdown policy, which is really, really avoidable mortality.”

He continued, “But if he thinks Cuomo handled it better, that’s an indication if something like this were to happen again, he would double down and do what he did in March of 2020,” DeSantis candidly expressed on the Ben Shapiro Show.

DeSantis, now a GOP presidential contender, further acknowledged the complexity of the situation in the early days of the pandemic, “That was a difficult situation. We didn’t have all the facts, and people can kind of understand if you did things that may not have worked out.”

“But we all have to sit here today in 2023, look back on March of 2020 and say, ‘Faucism was wrong. Faucism was destructive. Faucism has set us on this path with the CARES Act and the Fed printing money, creating inflation, and creating some of the economic problems that we have today.”

He then posed a critical question, “So, if you could do it again, would he do the same thing?” DeSantis added, “I sure hope not.”

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Governor DeSantis didn’t mince words when it came to Dr. Fauci, stating that Trump “should’ve fired” him during his presidency. He criticized Trump for “turning the reins over” to Fauci, thereby “elevating” him.

Thanks to @RonDeSantis for coming on today’s show. Here’s our full interview:pic.twitter.com/Wh8bxOFhot

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 26, 2023

Cuomo, who faced severe backlash for his administration’s handling of COVID-19, made a contentious decision to send coronavirus patients back to nursing homes. His administration then manipulated the reporting of nursing home deaths, leading to substantial criticism.

A study pointed out that Cuomo’s decision may have been a direct cause of over 1,000 deaths, further emphasizing the severity of his administration’s errors during the pandemic.

This latest spat between Desantis and Trump over Cuomo’s handling of the pandemic is likely to be the tip of the iceberg as these two superpowers duke it out for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024.

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