Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis Appears To Fire Back At Gov. Newsom Over Special Olympics Comment

Florida first lady Casey DeSantis hit back Monday at Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom after the governor claimed he launched his ad blitz in the state over the Special Olympics.

Newsom said Friday he ran the the campaign attack against Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis after DeSantis told the Special Olympics it would be fined for violating state law over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

“He did something that tipped me very directly, and that was going after the Special Olympics,” Newsom said, according to The Sacramento Bee. “I had an emotional response to that. That led to the consideration of doing something a little bit more expressive and that was the determination on the ad.”

In the ad that launched in early July, Newsom said “freedom is under attack in [Florida].”

“Your Republican leader, they’re banning books, making it harder to vote, restricting speech in classrooms, even criminalizing women and doctors.”

Newsom urged Floridians to flee the Sunshine State and instead join him in California, where he promises “freedom.” (RELATED: ‘Why Didn’t Newsom Mention This?’: DeSantis Fires Back On Attack Ads)

Casey DeSantis appeared to take an indirect jab Monday at Newsom while also saying her husband was fighting for the Special Olympic athletes.

“For those who need a reminder … this is why we fight. Isabella competed in the Special Olympics because @RonDeSantisFL stood up and fought for her and all the other Special Olympians who would have been sidelined. We will never stop fighting for people like Isabella.”

For those who need a reminder… this is why we fight.

Isabella competed in the Special Olympics because @RonDeSantisFL stood up and fought for her and all the other Special Olympians who would have been sidelined.

We will never stop fighting for people like Isabella. pic.twitter.com/NARnZdSvaU

— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) July 18, 2022

The Special Olympics dropped its vaccine mandate after the organization faced $27.5 million in fines from the state, which argued the organization’s vaccine requirement broke state law. Several athletes’ family members allegedly shared their concerns about the charity’s vaccine mandate.

Florida law “prohibits a business entity, which includes a charitable organization, from requiring any patron or customer to provide documentation certifying COVID-19 vaccination or post-infection recovery to gain access to, entry upon, or service from the business entity,” a letter from the state to the Special Olympics reads.

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