And his response only furthered talk of a potential 2022 gubernatorial election fight.
“If Manatee County doesn't like us doing this, then we are totally fine with putting this in counties that want it. And we're totally happy to do that,” DeSantis told reporters as he faced questions during an appearance at the Premier Sports Campus in Lakewood Ranch.
“So, anyone that's saying that, let us know, if you want us to send it to Sarasota next time, or Charlotte or Pasco or wherever, let us know, we're happy to do it,” he said. “But I think most people, if we have an opportunity to bring vaccines and do it efficiently, I think that they're gonna want it. And so, you know, there's going to be folks that are going to complain about getting more vaccines, you know, I'll tell you what I mean, I wouldn't be complaining. I'd be thankful that we're able to do it. Because you know what, we didn't need to do this at all.”
The media questions focused on comments some Manatee County commissioners made about the decision-making behind a vaccination pop-up site at the sports campus. Also, vaccine doses were going to people from communities in two Zip codes with 2,548 COVID-19 cases, while other more-diverse regions of the county had higher caseloads.
During an appearance Thursday in Pinellas County, DeSantis appeared to distance himself from how the Manatee County decisions were made.
“We don’t dictate how it’s done. We do not say they can’t invite people from outside. That’s up to them, how they do it," he said. "However they want to do it, it’s totally fine with us. We just believe going to senior-dominated communities allows us to reach a critical mass quickly. … And you know what, the seniors really appreciate it."
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democrat who is widely rumored to be considering challenging DeSantis next year, went on the attack after the controversy erupted Wednesday. She sent out a statement calling the governor’s comments “troubling and potentially illegal.”
“Vaccines should be distributed to counties based on need, capacity, and science,” Fried said in a news release.
Fried also started the week with a couple of salvos at DeSantis, topped by a claim the state’s response to the pandemic has been made harder by the governor’s “Blind allegiance to an insurrectionist,” referring to the governor’s close relationship with former President Donald Trump.
As expected, Republicans hit back.
“Fried is floundering and it’s uncomfortable to watch,” tweeted Sen. Joe Gruters, chairman of the Republican Party of Florida. “Dems see it. The press knows it. No record to run on or promote. Instead attacks one of most popular govs in country. The end of this movie writes itself.”
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This article appears in Feb 18-24, 2021.