Crist Calls for 'Reckless' Ladapo to be Fired

Governor DeSantis’ announcement that Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo would be serving as Florida’s new Surgeon General drew criticism from a number of Demcorats. Ladapo, in speaking to Floridians, shared that the approach to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic should not be “from a place of fear" during a press conference earlier this week.

Shortly after, Ladapo called for an emergeny order, allowing parents to decide if their children should quarantine if they were exposed to COVID-19 and if they’re asymptomatic. Florida Rep. Charlie Crist (D), who’s currently challenging Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) for his seat, is now calling for Ladapo to be fired over his “reckless” order.

During an online event this week with school officials, parents and teachers, Rep. Crist, who formerly served as a Republican Governor of Florida, slammed Governor DeSantis and Ladapo over the recent order.

“Governor DeSantis and Dr. Ladapo are going to say it’s about a parent’s right to choose for their children,” said Crist, adding that “really, this is a reckless and baseless endangerment of entire classrooms and schools across the state that will jeopardize all of the work good, local leaders have done.”

Crist further criticized DeSantis, saying that the Governor has “become an oppressive tyrant who now supports sending COVID-positive children into classrooms.”

In response to Rep. Crist’s remarks, Christina Pushaw, DeSantis’ spokeswoman, issued an email, saying that “it’s laughable that a career politician considers himself enough of a medical expert to assert that a Harvard-trained physician – who has published copious peer reviewed research on diseases, taught at one of the top medical schools of the world (UCLA), and has extensive experience treating hospitalized patients at the prestigious UCLA Health system in Lost Angeles – is somehow unqualified to be the surgeon general of our state.”

Pushaw then questioned “where did Charlie Crist get his M.D.?”

Crist has not issued a response to Pushaw’s comments.