DeSantis’s Team Blasts Back After Biden Admin Tries To Politicize Florida Ventilator Order

Conservative News DailyAugust 11, 2021

On Wednesday, Ron DeSantis’s team fired back at the Biden administration and their media lackeys who attempted to slam the Florida governor after a number of ventilators were sent to the Sunshine State.

The slugfest started on late Tuesday afternoon. MSNBC, in its effort along with other media outlets to target DeSantis, who is fast becoming the Biden administration’s chief nemesis, reported that Biden’s Department of Health and Human Services had sent 200 ventilators and 100 high-flow nasal kits and related supplies to Florida because of a surge in COVID hospitalizations:

HHS: The federal government has sent 200 ventilators and 100 high-flow nasal kits and related supplies to Florida this week to help the state respond to the surge in Covid hospitalizations

— Jesse Rodriguez (@JesseRodriguez) August 10, 2021

Only one hour later, Tampa Bay Times reporter Kirby Wilson pointed out some data MSNBC might be unaware of, tweeting, “FWIW: none of the hospital folks I’ve talked to have said they are short on supplies. Justin Senior, CEO of Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, whose members often treat the sickest/neediest patients, told me he’s heard nothing about a ventilator shortage.”

FWIW: none of the hospital folks I’ve talked to have said they are short on supplies.

Justin Senior, CEO of Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida, whose members often treat the sickest/neediest patients, told me he’s heard nothing about a ventilator shortage. https://t.co/Umz7jVYUUf

— Kirby Wilson (@KirbyWTweets) August 10, 2021

On Wednesday, CNN, eager to aid the Biden administration and dump on DeSantis, eagerly joined in the attack, reporting:

The Biden administration sent hundreds of ventilators to Florida in recent days as the state responds to a dramatic new increase in Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations, an official from the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed to CNN. But Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis claims he’s unaware of the shipment.

CNN noted that DeSantis said he would look into the matter, saying, “I would honestly doubt that that’s true, but I’ll look because we have a lot of stuff that we stockpiled over the last year and a half through the Department of Emergency Management. … I’ve not had any requests across my desk. I have not been notified of that. But they are in contact with the hospitals, I’m personally in contact with CEOs of a lot of the major hospitals.”

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, who has spearheaded the Biden administration’s attacks on DeSantis, as seen here and here, seized the opportunity to attack him on Wednesday, sniping haughtily, “I would note that as a policy we don’t send ventilators to states without their interest in receiving the ventilators,” adding, “I think the most important question here is, why would you oppose receiving ventilators?”

She adds, “I think the most important question here is, why would you oppose receiving ventilators?”

— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) August 11, 2021

That prompted DeSantis spokeswoman Christina Pushaw to fire back, “Why is the Biden administration trying to make this into a political issue? Nobody from @GovRonDeSantis office asked for ventilators. @HealhyFla did, and here’s a standard/routine process, the Governor doesn’t need to be looped in on it.”

She posted a statement from the Florida Department of Health: “The Florida Department of health reviews health care needs statewide on a consistent basis as part of this program, which is under the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (HHS) The Department routinely works with the federal government to ensure adequate resources are available and ready to be distributed at all times, as done with this recent request.”

Why is the Biden Admin trying to make this into a huge political issue? Nobody from @GovRonDeSantis office asked for ventilators. @HealthyFla did, and there’s a standard / routine process, the Governor doesn’t need to be looped in on it. pic.twitter.com/PYz75RPwCp

— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) August 11, 2021

Wilson added some perspective for Psaki, MSNBC, CNN and their cohorts: “These two things can be true at the same time: -The state requested hundreds more ventilators. FL hospitals are not short on ventilators. FL has more emergency supplies than it needs in storage. I’m hearing supplies are being requested to maintain the state’s supply cushion.”

These two things can be true at the same time:

-The state requested hundreds more ventilators.
-FL hospitals are not short on ventilators.

FL has more emergency supplies than it needs in storage. I’m hearing supplies are being requested to maintain the state’s supply cushion. https://t.co/bKoPcI67CQ

— Kirby Wilson (@KirbyWTweets) August 11, 2021

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