Ron DeSantis came under fire after claiming during a Tuesday, May 8, speaking engagement that he didn't go overseas during the Covid-19 pandemic because he didn't want to comply with other countries' travel restrictions.
"We did a trade mission to Israel in 2019," he said in a tweeted video of the event shared by Ron Filipkowski. "We kinda stopped doing them once COVID hit, because I just told people, I'm like, 'I am not testing, I am not doing vax passports. If you're not free, I'm not going there.'"
"And there was a lot of restrictions," he added. "So we just said forget it."
Following DeSantis' confession, critics flooded the comments section slamming the politician for his views on Covid-19 precautions, with some accusing him of lying to pander to far right voters as he continues to slip lower in the polls.
"Lies. Ron was vaxxed & frequently tested. He's read his bad reception press. And the polls," one Twitter user wrote, while another insisted, "DeSantis got the first vaccine."
"Is there a way to check because I'll bet DeSantis, his wife, and kids are vaccinated," another user replied. "No way they're going out amongst the commoners without the vaccine. They just like to pretend they're not to fit their narrative."
This isn't the first time DeSantis has been criticized for his response to the pandemic as well as a wide array of other controversial political views, however, one of his biggest current rivals is a fellow Republican.
Although DeSantis has yet to announce his rumored bid for the 2024 presidential election, ex-prez Donald Trump has already come out swinging against the embattled Florida governor, from dragging his performance in political polls to dubbing him with taunting nicknames like "Meatball Ron" and "Ron DeSanctimonious."
According to sources, Trump has privately referred to the 44-year-old as "Shutdown Ron," referencing Florida's brief closure of businesses due to Covid.
Trump's campaign team is also reportedly is planning to center many of their future attacks around DeSantis' Covid-19 response.
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