DEATHSANTIS & THe RUMP OWNED PANDEMIC
DeSantis received criticism in March 2020 for what some critics perceived as a lax approach to the pandemic, which intensified as Florida beaches were packed during Spring Break. But that month and the month following, DeSantis issued a series of major restrictions.
For example, DeSantis:
• Closed Florida’s schools, first with a short-term closure in March 2020 and then, in April 2020, with a shutdown through the end of the school year. (In June 2020, he announced a plan for schools to reopen for the next school year that began in August. By October 2020, he was publicly denouncing school closures, calling them a major mistake and saying all the information hadn’t been available that March.)
• On March 14, 2020, announced a ban on most visits to nursing homes. (He lifted the ban in September 2020.)
• On March 17, 2020, ordered bars and nightclubs to close for 30 days and restaurants to operate at half-capacity. (He later approved a phased reopening plan that took effect in May 2020, then issued an order in September 2020 allowing these establishments to operate at full capacity.)
• On March 17, 2020, ordered gatherings on public beaches to be limited to a maximum of 10 people staying at least six feet apart, then, three days later, ordered a shutdown of public beaches in two populous counties, Broward and Palm Beach. (He permitted those counties’ beaches to reopen by the last half of May.)
• On March 20, 2020, prohibited “any medically unnecessary, non-urgent or non-emergency” medical procedures. (The prohibition was lifted in early May 2020.)
• On March 23, 2020, ordered that anyone flying to Florida from an area with “substantial community spread” of the virus, “to include the New York Tri-State Area (Connecticut, New Jersey and New York),” isolate or quarantine for 14 days or the duration of their stay in Florida, whichever was shorter, or face possible jail time or a fine. Later that week, he added Louisiana to the list. (He lifted the Louisiana restriction in June 2020 and the rest in August 2020.)
• On April 3, 2020, imposed a statewide stay-home order that temporarily required people in Florida to “limit their movements and personal interactions outside of their home to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or conduct essential activities.” (Beginning in May 2020, the state switched to a phased reopening plan that, for months, included major restrictions on the operations of businesses and other entities; DeSantis described it at the time as a “very slow and methodical approach” to reopening.)
From CNN’s Daniel Dale
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DeSantis participates in a CNN Republican Presidential Town Hall on Tuesday in New Hampshire. - Will Lanzoni/CNN
DeSantis participates in a CNN Republican Presidential Town Hall on Tuesday in New Hampshire. - Will Lanzoni/CNN
© Provided by CNN
Pro-LGBTQ aid to Bangladesh
When making the case for lower government spending, DeSantis claimed that taxpayer dollars are “going overseas to do things like promote ‘transgenderism’ in Bangladesh.”
Facts First: This needs context. While there have been US Agency for International Development programs supporting LGBTQ rights in Bangladesh, they make up a sliver of the federal agency’s budget.
The specific USAID program involved in these efforts was launched under the Trump administration in June 2018 and ended in June 2021, and USAID records indicate that the program cost $849,535 over the three years.
In the 2021 fiscal year, when it ended, USAID spent almost $30 billion, according to the agency. That means the pro-LGBTQ program in Bangladesh was less than 0.003% of the agency’s spending for that year.
There is at least one additional USAID program supporting LGBTQ rights in Bangladesh, which was launched last year. In response to CNN’s inquiries, USAID spokespeople wouldn’t provide a figure for the cost of the program, which is set to run for five years.
From CNN’s Marshall Cohen and Kaanita Iyer
DeSantis on Iranian sanctions
When answering a voter’s question on how he will deal with Iran if elected president, DeSantis attempted to contrast himself from President Joe Biden, who DeSantis claimed “relaxed sanctions on Iran.”
Facts First: This claim needs context.
The Biden administration has lifted a handful of Iranian sanctions, which they said were removed because of “verified change in status or behavior.” However, Biden has also retained and imposed numerous other sanctions on Iran. The Biden administration has issued waivers to allow Iraq to purchase electricity from Iran – something the Trump administration did as well.
From CNN’s Jennifer Hansler and Kaanita Iyer
DeSantis received criticism in March 2020 for what some critics perceived as a lax approach to the pandemic, which intensified as Florida beaches were packed during Spring Break. But that month and the month following, DeSantis issued a series of major restrictions.
For example, DeSantis:
• Closed Florida’s schools, first with a short-term closure in March 2020 and then, in April 2020, with a shutdown through the end of the school year. (In June 2020, he announced a plan for schools to reopen for the next school year that began in August. By October 2020, he was publicly denouncing school closures, calling them a major mistake and saying all the information hadn’t been available that March.)
• On March 14, 2020, announced a ban on most visits to nursing homes. (He lifted the ban in September 2020.)
• On March 17, 2020, ordered bars and nightclubs to close for 30 days and restaurants to operate at half-capacity. (He later approved a phased reopening plan that took effect in May 2020, then issued an order in September 2020 allowing these establishments to operate at full capacity.)
• On March 17, 2020, ordered gatherings on public beaches to be limited to a maximum of 10 people staying at least six feet apart, then, three days later, ordered a shutdown of public beaches in two populous counties, Broward and Palm Beach. (He permitted those counties’ beaches to reopen by the last half of May.)
• On March 20, 2020, prohibited “any medically unnecessary, non-urgent or non-emergency” medical procedures. (The prohibition was lifted in early May 2020.)
• On March 23, 2020, ordered that anyone flying to Florida from an area with “substantial community spread” of the virus, “to include the New York Tri-State Area (Connecticut, New Jersey and New York),” isolate or quarantine for 14 days or the duration of their stay in Florida, whichever was shorter, or face possible jail time or a fine. Later that week, he added Louisiana to the list. (He lifted the Louisiana restriction in June 2020 and the rest in August 2020.)
• On April 3, 2020, imposed a statewide stay-home order that temporarily required people in Florida to “limit their movements and personal interactions outside of their home to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or conduct essential activities.” (Beginning in May 2020, the state switched to a phased reopening plan that, for months, included major restrictions on the operations of businesses and other entities; DeSantis described it at the time as a “very slow and methodical approach” to reopening.)
From CNN’s Daniel Dale
Fullscreen button
DeSantis participates in a CNN Republican Presidential Town Hall on Tuesday in New Hampshire. - Will Lanzoni/CNN
DeSantis participates in a CNN Republican Presidential Town Hall on Tuesday in New Hampshire. - Will Lanzoni/CNN
© Provided by CNN
Pro-LGBTQ aid to Bangladesh
When making the case for lower government spending, DeSantis claimed that taxpayer dollars are “going overseas to do things like promote ‘transgenderism’ in Bangladesh.”
Facts First: This needs context. While there have been US Agency for International Development programs supporting LGBTQ rights in Bangladesh, they make up a sliver of the federal agency’s budget.
The specific USAID program involved in these efforts was launched under the Trump administration in June 2018 and ended in June 2021, and USAID records indicate that the program cost $849,535 over the three years.
In the 2021 fiscal year, when it ended, USAID spent almost $30 billion, according to the agency. That means the pro-LGBTQ program in Bangladesh was less than 0.003% of the agency’s spending for that year.
There is at least one additional USAID program supporting LGBTQ rights in Bangladesh, which was launched last year. In response to CNN’s inquiries, USAID spokespeople wouldn’t provide a figure for the cost of the program, which is set to run for five years.
From CNN’s Marshall Cohen and Kaanita Iyer
DeSantis on Iranian sanctions
When answering a voter’s question on how he will deal with Iran if elected president, DeSantis attempted to contrast himself from President Joe Biden, who DeSantis claimed “relaxed sanctions on Iran.”
Facts First: This claim needs context.
The Biden administration has lifted a handful of Iranian sanctions, which they said were removed because of “verified change in status or behavior.” However, Biden has also retained and imposed numerous other sanctions on Iran. The Biden administration has issued waivers to allow Iraq to purchase electricity from Iran – something the Trump administration did as well.
From CNN’s Jennifer Hansler and Kaanita Iyer
