On Sunday night, ’60 Minutes’ rolled out a selectively edited hit job on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. It was driven by a politically biased agenda to take down a rising star in the Republican Party who many believe may have presidential ambitions in the future.
The relative success of the State of Florida in responding to a pandemic that threatens its sizable elderly population, while maintaining a reasonable degree of public freedom and respect for citizens’ rights, has been a constant thorn in the side to Democrats who have been long on fear and short on facts addressing the COVID risks.
The supposed controversy turns on whether or not Florida Governor Ron DeSantis gave a favorable vaccine contract to Publix, Florida’s most widely available grocery store, to assist with the vaccine rollout in exchange for a $100,000 contribution to a PAC.
The “pay-to-play” scandal allegation surfaced last month after Sharyn Alfonsi lobbed accusations at Governor DeSantis at a press conference. The “60 Minutes” episode on Sunday dropped context that would have done much to give the audience the impression that there is ‘no story there.’
The segment was so one-sided and unfair, not just to the governor but to Florida’s entire representative government, that the blowback against the one-time respectable investigative news show has been furious. It is illustrative to merely give the observations of skilled media observers below.
The 60 Minutes’ attempt at a hit piece on @GovRonDeSantis spoke more to how much they fear him rather than anything else.
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) April 5, 2021
The director of Florida’s division of emergency management, a former 3-term Democratic state legislator, responding to @60Minutes’ report tonight suggesting the DeSantis admin gave Publix preferable treatment based on their donations to DeSantis’ PAC https://t.co/RPhAzEM7BP
— Grace Panetta (@grace_panetta) April 5, 2021
The full unedited video shows that 60 Minutes cut out everything in bold from DeSantis in the transcript below. Pretty wild.https://t.co/7JtTrd69ikhttps://t.co/D2m7IpyD0U https://t.co/ctTwTEcJoT pic.twitter.com/MMOg987nJp
— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) April 5, 2021
I analyze “60 Minutes” DeSantis vaccine conspiracy theories about the REAL reasons he prioritized the most COVID-vulnerable group and utilized state’s most popular grocery store to successfully distribute. And why CBS hid facts that countered their theory. https://t.co/rXr8LvBtH7
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) April 5, 2021
Along with the revelations that shot giant holes in CBS’s narrative, were allegations about the real reason that the network ran the misleading story.
The media is DESPERATE to go after @GovRonDeSantis for any tiny thing they can because they know his leadership has been the best in 2020/2021 and it terrifies them to see a Republican who has very little on him that they can criticize running circles around Dems. https://t.co/uvNC3GzWsg
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) April 5, 2021
They’re going after @GovRonDeSantis for one reason.
Right now he’s the biggest threat to the Marxist Democrats’ control sham.
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) April 5, 2021
.@60Minutes had a chance to cover the New York nursing home scandal, and they instead chose to shotgun any DeSantis narrative they could, hoping something would stick. What a metaphor for the coverage capabilities of our pathetic, partisan media.
— Erielle Davidson (@politicalelle) April 5, 2021
60 minutes going after @GovRonDeSantis who is by far the best Governor in America.
Has @60Minutes minutes done an expose on Gov. Cuomo’s hand in killing 11 thousands seniors & his multiple sexual assault allegations?
— Melissa Tate (@TheRightMelissa) April 5, 2021
Lies the media have promulgated about DeSantis because they fear his 2024 candidacy:
1. His willingness to allow local officials to open beaches, etc., would lead to massive death (lie);
2. He artificially deflated death statistics (lie);— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) April 5, 2021
The parting shot.
The media is going to will a President DeSantis into existence.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) April 5, 2021
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OPINION: This article contains commentary which reflects the author's opinion.