Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is certainly known for taking down anyone who gets in his way from creating a free Florida, from reporters, to officials, to rogue state attorneys. He's proud of it too, considering he highlights many of these examples in a new re-election ad, "Top Gov." This also includes Dr. Anthony Fauci, who earlier this week announced he's retiring come December. A clip went viral on Wednesday of DeSantis proclaiming "I'm just sick of seeing him. I know he says he's gonna retire. Someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac," speaking about Fauci.
DeSantis on Fauci: "I'm just sick of seeing him. I know he says he's gonna retire. Someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac!”pic.twitter.com/zB20gKOiZZ
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) August 24, 2022
Our friends at Twitchy highlighted how much users ate it all up, though some took issue with DeSantis referring to Dr. Fauci as an "elf," since it's far too kind, suggesting he's more like a gnome.
I am so pissed off about DeSantis calling Fauci an elf.
— The??FOO (@PolitiBunny) August 25, 2022
Like furious.
He's a GNOME, my dude, not an elf. :)
Sheesh.
I had to fact-check Ron DeSantis, who called Fauci a little elf.
— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) August 25, 2022
Elves are not little. Elves are tall and majestic. DeSantis is thinking of dwarves or possibly gnomes. https://t.co/o7KVW4ndin
But then there are also those who took DeSantis' mention of Fauci too seriously, including The Daily Beast's Justin Baragona, who wrote an article to lament such remarks from the governor.
In it, Baragona wrote:
DeSantis, who recently debuted a performative tough-guy “Top Gov” campaign adwith himself as “Maverick,” has long taken aim at Fauci to burnish his MAGA credentials.
Last year, for instance, he began hawking “Don’t Fauci My Florida” merch as coronavirus cases spiked in his state. Fauci, meanwhile, has been the target of countless death threats. A man who said he wanted to break every bone in Fauci’s “disgusting elf skull” was recently sentenced to three years in prison.
“Like the governor’s statement… is this question a joke?” Deputy Press Secretary Jeremy Redfern told The Daily Beast when asked about DeSantis’ remarks in light of ongoing threats to Fauci. He further suggested contacting the governor’s campaign if The Daily Beast “really believe this warrants a comment,” as he is “not able to comment on political matters.”
Redfern then tweeted out a screenshot of this reporter’s email with clown and globe emojis for a caption. The campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Baragona is the same guy who also took Greg Gutfeld's joke last December on "The Five" about how President Joe Biden "racist with blood on his hands" way too seriously. He was subsequently savaged by Gutfeld on his other top performing program for Fox News, "Gutfeld!"
Upon Baragona emailed Deputy Press Secretary Jeremy Redfern a leading question, Redfern tweeted out a screenshot of the email to mock. Emails between staff members of the DeSantis administration clearly state that Florida law means such communication "is not confidential" and "is a public record."
Got a question about this from @justinbaragona of @thedailybeast.
— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) August 24, 2022
???? https://t.co/OuEXTrlyHh pic.twitter.com/VWa6Thp4IW
Deranged Twitter user Dash Dobrofsky on Thursday called for DeSantis to be "removed from the ballot and prosecuted" over his remarks, claiming it was an "explicit call for violence."
Fascist Ron DeSantis called on his supporters to physically assault Dr. Anthony Fauci. This is an explicit call for violence against an 81 year old Government Official — a crime punishable by up to 5 years in prison. Ron DeSantis should be removed from the ballot and prosecuted.
— Dash Dobrofsky (@DashDobrofsky) August 25, 2022
David French, who has pretty much aligned himself with the left at this point, likewise took issue with DeSantis' remarks. Twitchy also highlighted how he rushed to Fauci's defense in other ways as well, hours later.
One doesn’t have to view another human being as a “sacred religious icon” to object to a potential president calling him an “elf” who should be “chucked” across the Potomac.
— David French (@DavidAFrench) August 25, 2022
But of course everyone knows that. https://t.co/yjbH4vLg25
I’m not sure which is worse, the malicious juvenile insult or the wild cheering in response. https://t.co/m14pe35A1T
— David French (@DavidAFrench) August 25, 2022
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