More Lies, More Misinformation, and More Dangerous Rhetoric From the Right
Ron DeSantis promoting treatments that don’t work, instead of life-saving vaccines, at an event January 26.
This week, Republicans continued pushing misinformation, treatments that are proven to not work against COVID-19, and vaccine hesitancy instead of working to end the pandemic. The worst of the worst was Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who spent all week throwing a temper tantrum because the government stopped sending monoclonal antibodies that don’t work against Omicron. He chose to make baseless claims about the effectiveness of these drugs instead of working on getting the 34,000 treatments that do work to the people who need them, or promoting life-saving vaccines.
Meanwhile, Republicans have begun accusing the Biden administration of reverse racism for their guidance that doctors should consider race and ethnicity when deciding who gets the limited supply of new COVID-19 drugs. The FDA’s nonbinding guidance for the drug notes that people of color may be at higher risk for severe COVID-19 and says it’s one factor among many that doctors can consider when deciding who gets the treatment. Republicans, however, see this as yet another way to stoke anger, fear, and confusion, and to pander to the most extreme among their base.
With governors joining vaccine requirement lawsuits and Sarah Palin rearing her head to gallivant around New York City after contracting COVID-19, Republicans should be embarrassed and ashamed of their actions. They are continuing to put American lives at risk in order to score political points, ultimately prolonging the pandemic.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis railed against the FDA for cutting his state’s supply of monoclonal antibodies which have been proven to not work against Omicron, the variant responsible for 99% of recent infections. DeSantis accused the Biden administration of withholding treatments specifically targeting him, while refusing to promote actual life-saving vaccinations. He then sent an email fundraising off of the havoc he himself is wreaking by promoting these treatments.
Not to be outdone, his surgeon general Joseph Ladapo followed up his boss’ embarrassing display by bombing a confirmation hearing so badly some state senators left the room rather than vote on recommending him.
Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson held a bizarre non-hearing the day after an anti-vaccine march in Washington, DC, giving a platform to conspiracy theorists and discredited doctors spouting repeatedly debunked lies about vaccines and COVID-19. As people audibly coughed in the background, the discussion repeatedly veered into unproven nonsense about vaccine safety and alternative treatments. Later in the week, Johnson also falsely claimed that 22,000 people have died from receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. This comes as State lawmakers are changing state medical boards with the goal of making it easier for doctors to prescribe hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin. These medications do not work against COVID-19 and in some cases can be dangerous.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin continued his disastrous first month in office by focusing on his push to end masks in schools, putting educators and students at risk and ignoring science. Just today, the Virginia attorney general issued a legal opinion which argued that public universities cannot mandate the coronavirus vaccine for students. This is a dangerous and unpopular move, since we already see GOP state lawmakers around the country pushing to abolish long-standing vaccine requirements, some prohibiting universities and schools from refusing students admittance based on their vaccination status.
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul reacted to the administration’s decision to stop sending monoclonal antibodies that don’t work against Omicron by disgustingly accusing liberals of celebrating when conservatives die of COVID-19. Senator Paul has frequently pushed natural immunity and sparred with public health officials working to end this pandemic, seriously endangering people who listen to him.