Republican Party of Florida: RPOF Update

Chairman’s Message

Another Media Hit Job Collapses On Itself

Apparently, the corporate media will continue to try to smear Governor Ron DeSantis with baseless, ignorant hit jobs. It is an acknowledgment of the effectiveness of our Governor’s leadership, and the fear he creates in his political opponents.

In the latest installment, after the widely debunked 60 Minutes attack piece, the Florida Associated Press took its shot with a story that not only was a political attack on the Governor, but worse it jeopardized the health of its readers. The article, titled “DeSantis top donor invests in COVID drug governor promotes,” was framed in dangerous political insinuations that will undoubtedly lead some people to decline seeking the life-saving treatment.

After the Governor’s staff rightly dispelled the misleading narrative and exposed the partisan agenda of the Associated Press story, the media outlet sent a letter to Governor DeSantis August 20, criticizing him for his staff’s efforts to correct the record. That’s when the Governor responded personally to the brazen AP, writing a letter not only defending his staff, but once again calling on the Associated Press and corporate outlets to stop creating conspiracy theories, publishing clickbait headlines, and circulating partisan political narratives, at the expense of readers and their health.

In his letter to Daisy Veerasingham, the AP’s incoming CEO, Governor DeSantis said he expected Veerasingham was writing to notify him they were retracting their story, not whining that his Press Secretary had done her job and rightly pushed back on the partisan story.

“Instead, you had the temerity to complain about the deserved blowback that your botched and discredited attempt to concoct a political narrative has received. This ploy will not work to divert attention from the fact that the Associated Press published a false narrative that will lead some to decline effective treatment for COVID infections.”

He pointed out that clinical trials of monoclonal antibody treatments result in a 70% reduction in hospitalization and death. That’s a hugely beneficial treatment, and the AP story undermined people’s confidence in it.

Read the Governor’s full letter: https://www.nationalreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/AP-Letter-from-Governor-DeSantis-2.pdf

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Speaking of the monoclonal rapid response teams, Governor DeSantis continues to travel our state for the opening of new treatment centers targeted at high-need areas. There are now 18 such centers open. It’s a lot of work but the Governor knows it’s worth it to get the information to Floridians that this can be a life-saving treatment.

Monoclonal antibody treatments can be prescribed by health care providers to individuals 12 years of age and older who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or who have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and are at high risk for severe illness and hospitalization. However, at Governor DeSantis’ direction, there is currently a standing order in Florida signed by the State Surgeon General that allows patients to receive this treatment without a prescription or referral if administered by an eligible health care provider. Such referrals are not required at any of the State of Florida monoclonal antibody treatment sites and treatments are available at no cost to patients.

The antibodies help the immune system recognize and respond effectively to the virus. According to the treatment guidelines, they should be administered as soon as possible after diagnosis. By providing access to these treatments at these new sites, Governor DeSantis is alleviating demand on hospital resources and further making sure that Floridians have access to all potential treatments that can help them recover from COVID-19.

Find locations to receive monoclonal antibody treatments here: floridahealthcovid19.gov.

Additionally, Governor DeSantis and the Florida Department of Health continue to encourage Floridians to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Find where vaccines here: https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/vaccines/vaccine-locator/

Florida

Once again, Governor DeSantis was correct in his approach to Covid. A new CDC study shows there is no rationale to forcibly mask children. After analyzing 90,000 Georgia elementary students, the CDC confirmed no significant statistical difference between optional and mandatory masked schools.

So, while the Biden Administration continues to fixate on Florida and Governor DeSantis, their own CDC study vindicates our Governor’s approach. And doing what makes him such a strong leader, Governor DeSantis refused to bow to the baseless White House attacks and chastised the administration for its obsession with using the federal government to forcibly mask children.

“I mean, you’ve got to wonder, where are your priorities that you’re so obsessed with this issue and so obsessed with taking away parents’ rights?” the governor asked. “And you’re letting Afghanistan burn, our border burn, and so many other things in our country fall to pieces.”

Read the story here: https://thefederalist.com/2021/08/24/desantis-vindicated-theres-no-science-behind-masks-on-kids/

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Even New York Magazine reported that, “Children are less likely to have severe disease from SARS-CoV-2, and when infected less likely to be symptomatic, which correlates with lower contagiousness. Those facts alone may account for part of the reason why the Georgia study found no clear benefit for a masking requirement for kids in schools.”

Read it here: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/08/the-science-of-masking-kids-at-school-remains-uncertain.html?utm_source=tw&utm_campaign=nym&utm_medium=s1

Governor DeSantis announced Florida will host the upcoming Hula Bowl at the University of Central Florida’s Bounce House Stadium in 2022. The game, set for January 15, 2022, will be the ninth NCAA bowl game in Florida during the upcoming college football season. The Hula Bowl, which started in 1946, is a postseason “All Star” bowl game, featuring standout NCAA football players from all divisions.

“On behalf of our entire state, I’m proud to welcome the Hula Bowl to Florida,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Our state continues to attract premier athletic events, which is great news for our economy, Florida families, and the fans who come here from all over the world for world-class experiences.”

“The state of Florida has been amazing in welcoming our game to the Sunshine State and Governor DeSantis made it clear to us that the state of Florida is indeed open for business,” said Jennifer Logan, Executive Vice President of the Hula Bowl. “The Governor’s support for Floridians is clear.”

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The South Florida Water Management District held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of an underground seepage wall in the 8.5 Square Mile Area (Las Palmas Community). The underground concrete wall will help mitigate flooding in the area, keep water in Everglades National Park, and support increased flows of water south which are necessary for Everglades restoration.

“When I took office, I made Everglades restoration and protection of Florida’s water resources a top priority,” Governor DeSantis said. “My administration has provided record investments and expedited key projects to restore the Everglades and send more water south. Today’s groundbreaking is yet another example of my administration’s commitment to Florida’s natural resources.”

Seepage walls are well-established engineering structures that help to limit the flow of water underground that can lead to above-ground flooding.

Washington, D.C.

The FBI very quietly exonerated President Trump and his supporters of any organized plot at the Capitol on January 6.

According to Reuters, which “broke” the story last Friday: “The FBI has found scant evidence that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the result of an organized plot to overturn the presidential election result, according to four current and former law enforcement officials.” Reuters also reported: “Senior lawmakers have been briefed in detail on the results of the FBI’s investigation so far and find them credible, a Democratic congressional source said.”

To sum up, the entire Democrat/media narrative of insurrection and organized plots against the United States government was false. Most Republicans have known that to be the case all along, and now the rest of the country knows. Sort of.

It must be pointed out that the FBI leaked this late Friday — for decades a favored moment for politicians to release something they want to bury. In this case, it was also a Friday afternoon when the glaring story was the fall of Kabul and total hand over of Afghanistan to the Taliban by the Biden Administration. This timing was an obvious political act by federal law enforcement and should worry all Americans.

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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Tuesday night that the Biden administration likely violated federal law in trying to end President Trump’s Remain in Mexico program that had partnered with Mexican authorities to stabilize the border by requiring people to wait in Mexico while seeking asylum in the U.S. The Biden administration simply ended it with no other plan, kneecapped the Border Patrol and created a quasi-open Southern Border that has since been overrun.

A federal judge in Texas had previously ordered the Remain in Mexico program be reinstated. Both he and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals refused the Biden administration’s request to put the ruling on hold.

So, the Supreme Court ruling requires the Biden administration to make a “good faith effort” to restart the program. However, the administration already essentially ignored a Supreme Court ruling on its eviction ban, so it’s hard to know if it will ignore this ruling, too, continue its policy under a different program or obey the ruling.

Read the short ruling: https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/082421zr_2d9g.pdf