DeSantis: COVID was a ‘woke’ virus because ‘experts’ said it was ‘OK’ for BLM to protest

Ron DeSantis joked that COVID must be an “awakened” virus because Democrats believed it wouldn’t spread to Black Lives Matter protesters in the summer of 2020, but would affect anti-lockdown protesters.

The Florida governor’s favorite work is “woke,” and he uses it to describe almost anything he disagrees with from progressive lawmakers, politicians, and corporations.

At a press conference marking the three-year anniversary of the beginning of “two weeks to stop the spread,” DeSantis railed against lockdowns, Dr. Anthony Fauci, selective rules and multiple aid packages that led to the current financial crisis.

Just a few months after the coronavirus pandemic swept through the US, Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters took to the streets following the police killing of George Floyd.

DeSantis pointed to the hypocrisy in enforcement when BLM protesters were not penalized for gathering large crowds during lockdowns, but others were.

“Even if they got hundreds or thousands of people together, that was fine. They even put this in a letter,” DeSantis said at his briefing Thursday in Winter Haven, Florida, along with the state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo.

The 2024 potential presidential candidate added, “And in the same letter they said it’s okay to protest at BLM, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to protest lockdowns or other things you might do. [oppose].’

“So this was supposedly a wakeful virus,” the Florida governor said to laughter and applause from the crowd as he stood behind a dais with a sign reading “3 Years to Slow the Spread.”

DeSantis’s comments were meant to suggest that the virus could somehow differentiate between protesting police — as liberals felt that was good public discourse — and those protesting lockdowns.

At the same time as these protests, public group activities also remained highly regulated, such as eating out at restaurants or going to concerts.

Thursday’s press conference marked three years of some sort of COVID-related restrictions still in place in certain parts of the country.

DeSantis has yet to announce a 2024 presidential nominee, but his recent activity touring the country and growing criticism of the current administration has raised the ears of those closely following the primary.

The ’15 Days to Slow the Spread’ model was first introduced on March 16, 2020 while President Donald Trump was still in office. The proposal was envisioned as a two-week period during which all businesses closed and people stayed home unless they went to buy food to seek emergency care to stop the spread of COVID-19 and avoid a full-blown health crisis.

Black Lives Matter protesters gathered in large – often, close-knit – groups to demonstrate against police in the US after an officer videotaped the killing of George Floyd in 2020. They were not stopped from organizing early in the pandemic, despite strict lockdowns due to the public health emergency

Those protesting mask mandates and lockdowns were not treated with the same grace as the BLM protesters and would face roadblocks trying to rally during the pandemic

In that two-week period, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported about 4,000 deaths related to the COVID-19 virus. This means that people with pneumonia and the flu and other illnesses who also tested positive for the coronavirus are included in this category.

It turned out that the first strain of COVID-19 was highly contagious, but most dangerous for those with co-morbidities — such as obesity or other illnesses — and the elderly.

The two weeks were therefore not enough time to slow the spread and the lockdowns kept getting extended and expanded with more restrictions.

Florida, led by DeSantis, was one of the first states to avoid lockdowns and reopen for business.

The Sunshine State was also a leader in fighting back against vaccine mandates and passports when the Biden administration began implementing them in 2021.