MANDATES THAT HE SAYS WILL
THREATEN INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS AND
LIBERTIES.
JOINING ME RIGHT NOW IS THE
GOVERNOR OF THE GREAT STATE OF
FLORIDA, RON DeSANTIS.
GOVERNOR, IT’S GREAT TO HAVE YOU
THIS MORNING.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> GOOD MORNING.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
MARIA: WE DO HAVE NEW WORRIES
ABOUT THE OMICRON VARIANT.
WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN IN FLORIDA?
>> WELL, MARIA, FIRST, I WOULD
SAY THAT IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT’S
TO HAPPENED IN THE NORTH IN SOME
OF THESE STATES, THEY’VE HAD
RECORD COVID HOSPITALIZATIONS.
THAT IS BEING DRIVEN BY THE
DELTA VARIANT.
AND, YES, WE ARE SEEING OMICRON
THROUGHOUT FLORIDA AND
THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
FOR.
[APPLAUSE]
NATE9LY, OMICRON IS NOT --
FORTUNATELY, IT’S NOT SHOWN TO
PRODUCE THE SAME
HOSPITALIZATIONS.
NOW, WE’LL SEE IF THAT CHANGE,
BUT THE NUMBERS IN SOUTH AFRICA,
I THOUGHT, BY AND LARGE, DIDN’T
JUSTIFY THE HYSTERIA YOU SAW BY
A LOT OF FOLKS IN CORPORATE
MEDIA.
AT THE END OF THE DAY IN
FLORIDA, FLORIDIANS KNOW WE WILL
NOT LET ANYBODY LOCK THEM DOWN,
WE WILL NOT LET ANYONE TAKE
THEIR JOBS, WE WILL NOT LET
ANYONE RUIN THEIR BUSINESSES,
AND WE WILL NOT LET ANYONE CLOSE
THEIR SCHOOLS.
SO PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE
TO LIVE LIFE, THEY’RE GOING TO
BE ABLE TO MAKE THEIR OWN
DECISIONS.
I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING
THAT STARTED WITH 15 DAYS TO
SLOW THE SPREAD NOW ALMOST TWO
YEARS LATER YOU’RE SEEING
LOCKDOWNS AND CLOSURES.
THERE ARE PLACES, MARIA, SOME OF
THESE UNIVERSITIES THEY FORCE
EVERYONE TO BE VACCINATED, THEY
FORCE THEM TO WEAR MASKS, AND
THEY STILL LOCK DOWN BECAUSE YOU
HAVE THESE CASES GOING UP.
AND SO IN FLORIDA PEOPLE ARE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE
DECISIONS.
WE DO PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS,
UNLIKE MOST STATES AND CERTAINLY
UNLIKE THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION,
ON EARLY TREATMENT WHEN PEOPLE
DO GET INFECTED S. AND IT’S NOT
JUST UNVACCINATED LIKE THEY LIKE
TO SAY.
OUR MONOCLONAL ANTIBODY CLINICS
THAT WE SET UP ACROSS THE STATE,
THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT GO
TO THOSE ARE FULLY VACCINATED,
HIGH RISK PEOPLE.
SO SINCE WE’VE ROLLED OUT THE
CLINICS, WE’VE HAD ONE OF THE
LOWEST HOSPITALIZATION RATES IN
THE COUNTRY.
SO WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE
FOCUSING ON EARLY TREATMENT, AND
WE’RE GOING TO CONTINUE
PROTECTING PEOPLE’S INDIVIDUAL
CHOICES AND FREEDOMS.
MARIA: GOVERNOR, A FEDERAL
JUDGE, AN APPEALS COURT ON
FRIDAY ALLOWED PRESIDENT BIDEN’S
VACCINE MANDATE FOR PRIVATE
EMPLOYERS TO TAKE EFFECT AS NEW
YORK AND CALIFORNIA ARE
REIMPOSING THESE MASK MANDATES.
IT LOOKS LIKE THIS IS GOING TO
THE SUPREME COURT.
YOU RECENTLY TALKED ABOUT THAT
MONOCLONAL TREATMENT FROM
ASTRAZENECA, RIGHT?
>> YEAH.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE OSHA
MANDATE, I THOUGHT IT WAS A
TERRIBLE DECISION.
NOW, THIS IS JUST A THREE-JUDGE
PANEL.
I THOUGHT THE WHOLE CIRCUIT IN
THE SIXTH WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE
STRUCK THIS DOWN.
I DO THINK WE’RE GOING TO GET
POSITIVE RELIEF FROM THE U.S.
SUPREME COURT ON THAT.
BUT, MARIA, WHAT WE DID IN
FLORIDA IS WE DIDN’T LEAVE IT TO
CHANCE.
WE PASSED SUBSTANTIVE
PROTECTIONS IN A SPECIAL SESSION
FOR FLORIDIANS SO THAT THEY ARE
ABLE TO HAVE GENEROUS ABILITY TO
OPT OUT OF THESE TYPES OF
MANDATES.
AND SO WE FEEL LIKE WE’VE DONE
WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO TO PROTECT
OUR EMPLOYEES.
I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FROM A
LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL MATTER
THAT SOMETHING LIKE THE OSHA
MANDATE NOT BE ALLOWED TO STAND.
THEY REACHED BACK DECADES, FOUND
SOME STATUTES AND ARE USING THAT
TO FORCE VACCINATIONS.
THAT’S NEVER BEEN DONE IN THE
HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY.
AND SO I THINK IT’S A MASSIVE
EXPANSION OF FEDERAL POWER THAT
GOES BEYOND THE CONSTITUTION.
SO WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO WIN
THAT CASE AT THE SUPREME COURT.
AND, YES, WE HAD ANOTHER
MONOCLONAL, THIS IS MORE FOR
PREVENTIVE FOR VERY HIGH RISK
PEOPLE.
YOU TAKE IT, AND THEN YOU’VE GOT
ABOUT SIX MONTHS OF REALLY GOOD
PROTECTION.
AND WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT
ALL THIS STUFF.
ALL YOU HEAR IS THE SAME STUFF
ABOUT MASKING AND LOCKDOWNS.
WE SHOULD BE TALKING MORE ABOUT
EARLY TREATMENT.
FORTUNATELY, IN FLORIDA WE ARE,
BUT THAT HAS BEEN A HUGE PROBLEM
FOR THE LAST YEAR WHEN WE’VE HAD
AVAILABLE TREATMENTS, AND
THEY’VE NOT BEEN TOUTED BY THE
POWERS THAT BE.
MARIA: YEAH.
I MEAN, GOVERNOR, WE’RE NOT EVEN
SURE WHAT FULLY VACCINATED MEANS
ANYMORE.
THE OTHER DAY DR. FAUCI SAID,
YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE THAT FULLY
VACCINATED MEANS THREE SHOTS
WHICH IS TWO SHOTS FOR THE
VACCINATION AND THEN ONE BOOSTER
SHOT.
HAVE YOU GOTTEN THE BOOSTER?
>> SO I’VE DONE -- WHATEVER I
DID, THE NORMAL SHOT AND THAT,
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IS
PEOPLE’S INDIVIDUAL DECISIONS
ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
BUT THESE BOOSTERS IN TERMS --
NOW FLORIDA, WE BAN VACCINE
PASSPORTS, WE WON’T LET ’EM FIRE
YA.
EVEN PRIVATE BUSINESSES OVER
THIS.
BECAUSE WE DON’T THINK THAT’S
APPROPRIATE.
BUT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE
TOOK THOSE STEPS IS BECAUSE WE
KNEW THE DEFINITION OF
VACCINATION WOULD BE A SHIFTING
TARGET.
AND I PREDICTED THIS A MONTH AND
A HALF AGO, AND PEOPLE SAID THAT
I WAS WRONG.
AND NOW WE’RE STARTING TO SEE IT
COME TO FRUITION.
SO THERE’S GOING TO BE PEOPLE
WHO HAVE DONE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE
TWO PFIZER SHOTS WHO ARE NOT
DOING BOOSTER, AND THEY COULD BE
CONSIDERED IN CERTAIN PARTS OF
THE COUNTRY TO BE UNVACCINATED
AND DENIED THE ABILITY TO
PARTICIPATE IN SOCIETY LIKE
EVERYBODY ELSE.
IT’S GONE WAY, WAY TOO FAR, AND
THAT IS A DECISION THAT PEOPLE
SHOULD MAKE FOR THEMSELVES.
BUT THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE THEIR
RIGHTS, FREEDOMS OR LIBERTIES
RESTRICTED BASED ON THESE
BOOSTERS.
MARIA: GOVERNOR, I WANT TO TALK
ABOUT THE INCREDIBLE ECONOMIC
PERFORMANCE THAT YOU ARE
OVERSEEING IN FLORIDA.
YOU JUST RECENTLY GAVE YOUR
BUDGET.
YOU WERE AN ATTORNEY IN THE U.S.
NAVY, AND YOU KNOW ALL ABOUT
WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN TERMS OF
JOBS IN THIS COUNTRY BECAUSE OF
THESE MANDATES.
WE ARE LOSING FIRST RESPONDERS.
TELL ME ABOUT THE 50,000 JOB
OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU’VE TALKED
ABOUT WITHIN YOUR BUDGET.
YOU JUST RECENTLY PASSED YOUR
BUDGET AND YOU’RE, OBVIOUSLY, A
SMALLER BUDGET THAN NEW YORK,
BUT YOU’VE GOT MUCH MORE SUCCESS
AT THE END OF THE DAY.
WALK US THROUGH YOUR BUDGET.
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, NOVEMBER
JOB REPORT NATIONALLY, ABOUT
200,000 JOBS NATIONWIDE.
IN FLORIDA ALONE IN NOVEMBER WE
DID OVER 50,000 NEW JOBS CREATED
IN FLORIDA.
SO THAT’S OVER 25% OF THE TOTAL
JOB OUTPUT JUST IN ONE STATE.
MY BUDGET IS ABOUT $99.7
BILLION.
I MEAN, YOU MENTIONED NEW YORK.
NEW YORK’S BUDGET’S, LIKE, $230
BILLION, AND I THINK MOST PEOPLE
THAT COME HERE WOULD SAY WE HAVE
BETTER ROADS, INFRASTRUCTURE,
SERVICES, OUR K-12 SCHOOLS
PERFORM HIGHER, WE HAVE THE
NUMBER ONE RATED PUBLIC
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM IN THE
COUNTRY, AND WE DO ALL THAT WITH
NO STATE INCOME TAX AND, IN
FACT, THE LOWEST PER CAPITA TAX
BURDEN IN THE COUNTRY, AND WE
HAVE OVER $15 BILLION IN SURPLUS
REVENUE.
I MEAN, JUST THINK ABOUT WHAT
WASHINGTON’S DOING BY PRINTING
TRILLIONS AND TRILLIONS.
WE HAVE OVER 15% OF THE AMOUNT
OF MONEY WE’RE SPENDING IN
BUDGET RESERVES.
AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT’S
SETTING UP FLORIDA FOR THE LONG
HAUL.
YES, WE HAVE LESS TAXES AND
THAT’S PART OF THE REASON PEOPLE
HAVE BEEN DRAWN HERE, BUT I
THINK, MARIA, SINCE COVID PEOPLE
KNOW IN FLORIDA THEIR FREEDOMS
ARE GOING TO BE RESPECTED.
PEOPLE KNOW THEY CAN INVEST HERE
AND NOT HAVE THEIR BUSINESSES
SHUT DOWN.
PEOPLE KNOW THEY’RE GOING TO BE
ABLE TO GET JOBS HERE AND NOT BE
FORCED OUT BASED ON MANDATES.
I THINK THE FACT THAT WE’VE
REALLY STOOD FOR FREEDOM IN
ADDITION TO HAVE HAVING GOOD TAX
AND SPEND POLICIES HAS REALLY
CAUSED PEOPLE TO WANT TO COME
WORK IN FLORIDA.
AND WE -- WE’RE PRODUCING MORE
JOBS PER CAPITA THAN OTHER
STATES, BUT WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF JOB OPENINGS
BECAUSE THE ECONOMY, YOU KNOW,
IS PERFORMING WELL.
MARIA: GOVERNOR, BEFORE YOU GO,
WE’RE ABOUT TO TALK WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
WE DIDN’T -- WE DON’T KNOW IF
HE’S GOING TO DEFINITELY RUN IN
2024.
WILL YOU BE RUNNING IN 2024?
>> I JUST FILED FOR RE-ELECTION
LAST MONTH IN THE STATE OF
FLORIDA FOR GOVERNOR, SO IF
PEOPLE WANT TO SUPPORT THAT, GO
TO RONDeSANTIS.COM.
WE THINK IT’S GOING TO BE AN
IMPORTANT RACE, AND SO THAT’S
BEEN MY FOCUS.
I’VE GOT 22.5 MILLION PEOPLE,
MARIA, AND ON ANY GIVEN DAY IN
THIS SEASON UNTIL MAY, WE
PROBABLY HAVE 25 MILLION PEOPLE
IN THE STATE WITH THE TOURISTS
AND THE SNOW BIRDS.
SO WE’VE GOT OUR HANDS FULL, AND
WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A
SUCCESSFUL RE-ELECTION NEXT
YEAR.
MARIA: WE ARE JUST BACK FROM
FLORIDA, AND I COULD FEEL THE
ENERGY IN THE AIR.
CONGRATS TO YOU.