During a press conference in the state capitol to address this debunked 60 Minutes segment accusing him of “pay-to-play” with Publix Supermarkets, Governor Ron DeSantis, with his PowerPoint remote control in hand, pounced on CBS for airing what he called the “big lie.”
“The whole thing is a big lie,” said Gov. DeSantis as he began to take apart the media outlets reporting.
DeSantis focused on the “exclusive deal” with Publix he was accused of striking and the fact 60 Minutes championed that the deal was evident in the county of Palm Beach.
“So when they say there was an exclusive deal for Publix in Palm Beach, 60 minutes is lying to you. They knew they were lying and they kept on lying,” stated DeSantis. “It is a lie to say that Publix had exclusive rights.”
Using the aforementioned PowerPoint, DeSantis showed how there were some 31 locations that were distributing the vaccine in Palm Beach County in addition to Publix in January, and by April, there were a total of 97 locations open.
“When does this exclusive clause kick in,” mocked DeSantis
DeSantis dropped a 10-ton anvil on the heads of CBS, saying that “Even the dimmest bulb in the New York corporate media constellation would have been able to realize that was false”
DeSantis even called out Rep. Omari Hardy (D) in the presentation for saying that the DeSantis administration wasn’t doing enough to help the Black Community in Palm Beach County. DeSantis posted a screengrab of a Palm Beach Post story where Rep. Hardy is seen at the Black Tabernacle Baptist Church in West Palm Beach overseeing COVID-19 vaccinations earlier this year.
“At the beginning of this pandemic Black people, Hispanics, people of color, we bore the full force of this pandemic…And [then]… we don't have the same access to the vaccine,” said Rep. Hardy.
Oof.
DeSantis went on, saying that 60 Minutes was in the state for “three months trying to dig up dirt and the best they could come up with was a half-baked conspiracy theory.”
“At the beginning of this pandemic Black people, Hispanics, people of color, we bore the full force of this pandemic…And [then]… we don't have the same access to the vaccine,” says Florida State Representative Omari Hardy. https://t.co/Phpa8D7RIh pic.twitter.com/VuOzIUPNU8
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) April 4, 2021
“The piece was preordained before they step foot in the state of Florida,” continued DeSantis, then adding that the 60 Minutes debacle was “ one of the biggest faceplants of corporate media.”
Jared Moskowitz, who is the Director of Emergency Services in the state, closed it all down when he repeated that it was his office that suggested that Publix head up the vaccinations.
“My first choice was Wal-Mart, I called Walmart first,” said Moskowitz.
Moskowitz said that Walmart couldn’t start giving shots for 21 days, but that Publix told him it could start within 72 hours.
“That’s the whole story. That’s it,” asserted Moskowitz.
While DeSantis was addressing the media on Wednesday afternoon, one of DeSantis’ biggest Democratic detractors and probably 2022 gubernatorial opponent, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, was posting images of her at the gym putting on a “gun show.
Fried was mocking DeSantis for not publicly getting vaccinated, calling his actions a “clown show” and that her actions in the images were “what real strengths looks like.
In posting this tweet, it appears that the real “clown show” was taking place at the LA Fitness restroom where Fried took the picture.
Ron DeSantis said if he vaxxed publicly it would be a “gun show.” He chose not to, continuing his clown show.
Here is what real strength looks like. pic.twitter.com/jPvvrxGw2F
— Nikki Fried (@nikkifried) April 7, 2021
