Jason Delgado
A Tallahassee doctor suggested that Gov. Ron DeSantis may be part of a “far-right wing death cult” during a health care roundtable hosted by Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Friday.
“I’ve heard Governor DeSantis speak,” said Dr. Ronald Saff. “He has a nice public appearance; his hair is well groomed; he always has a coat and tie on; he strings his sentences together well; he studied at Harvard and Yale. But when you pull back those superficialities, I really think that he’s part of a far-right wing death cult and it’s quite scary.”
The remark went unaddressed and unchallenged by Fried during the roundtable. Her office later commented on Saff’s statement when approached by Florida Politics.
“As Commissioner Fried noted, it’s no secret that she has been critical of the Governor’s response to this crisis” said press secretary Max Flugrath. “Her remarks speak for themselves.”
In her opening remarks, Fried said no one was to blame for COVID-19 and acknowledged her outspoken criticism of the Governor’s response.
She described his response as potentially deadly.
“I wanted to be a team player but I think his unsteady leadership has created uncertainty and confusion for Floridians that may be even deadly,” Fried said.
Saff was one of several health care workers joined together by the Commissioner to discuss the conditions health care workers are facing amid the escalating COVID-19 pandemic.
“As the on-the-ground voices of this crisis, you deserve to be respected and listened to and that’s what we are here to do today,” Fried said.
Collectively, the group of two doctors, six nurses, emergency room technicians and certified nurse assistants called for better leadership from the Governor and Washington.
“I’ve been a nurse for 24 years and I have never been so appalled, scared, disappointed and angry about the people that we depend on due to a lack of leadership,” said Patricia Diaz, a registered nurse from Miami-Dade County.
The sentiment was echoed by Dr. Mona Mangat, the former National Board Chair of Doctors for America.
“There is no national strategy to combat this pandemic, and it is a failure of leadership on so many levels,” she said. “My hope is that we can finally have leadership in Tallahassee and in Washington that puts science behind all public policy.”
Roundtable members also renewed calls to give hazard pay to Florida’s front line workers.
“They call us heroes, but staffing three nurses and two techs in a 30-room emergency room is cruel,” said Linda Exantus, an emergency room technician from Miami-Dade County. “Mandating that we wear a soiled mask for multiple shifts before providing another one is cruel. Requiring front line workers and ICU nurses to work overtime before giving us crumbs of pay is cruel. Not providing easy testing options for front line workers, and having to wait three weeks before I, or anyone, can kiss our children is cruel. You call us heroes, but is this how you treat your heroes?”
Additionally, the group stressed the continued need for more PPE in hospitals.
“PPE shortages are real, we’re not being provided with everything we need to be caring for these patients,” said Alicia Ciliezar, a registered nurse from Miami-Dade County. “I would welcome any figure in leadership right now to take a tour of the intensive care unit, and then tell me whether or not it should be a discussion — masks should be mandated right now.”
In March, Fried was among the first state leaders to call for a statewide stay-at-home order. She has also called for a statewide mask order and greater transparency for the state’s COVID-19 health data.
She assured the health care workers that she will “put patients over politics.”
“Your message is heard loud and clear,” Fried said.
11 comments
Frankie M.
July 24, 2020 at 1:52 pm
Sounds legit. Ronnie was part of the skull & bones society at Yale whose sole mission was to gain power by any means necessary.
DisplacedCTYankee
July 25, 2020 at 6:10 am
The good doctor might have put it this way: “Covid-19 not so bad for DeSantis and his GOP because it disproportionately kills black, brown, poor, and old people — all a drag on the almighty economy and therefore expendable.”
Pr8ncess consuela
July 26, 2020 at 6:55 am
Nikki and her round table are just bitter because they don’t get invited to his meetings. Act like little kids.
Eric Larson
July 24, 2020 at 2:10 pm
Fried sounds like she’s running for governor. She has not been a team player from the beginning. DeSantis did it right by letting town and county leadership to decide what was/ is best for them. Just because some leaders didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to make those calls is not DeSantis’ fault.
Fried is the next is the new Whittmer of Michigan “fame.” Same old story from the Dems, everything must be shut down, everyone must conform.
Dr. Saff using the “right-wing death cult ‘ is repugnant!. More fear mongering from the left.
Thomas
July 24, 2020 at 2:22 pm
Sounds like the Republicans recently hired a Democrat consultant to teach them some tact!
Mark Brown
July 24, 2020 at 2:42 pm
Just typical Democrat bullshit on this whole article. Intensive cares are filling up yet the Jacksonville homeless just tested zero!? Bullshit on this.
Sonja Fitch
July 24, 2020 at 3:13 pm
So duffus Desantis is a real live honest to god far right death cult believer! For some reason this sounds more reasonable than I Want it to be!!!!
Dave
July 24, 2020 at 4:33 pm
So.it is Desantis’ fault that there is only 30 staff nurses and 2 tech’s to man a 30 room emergency ward?Crumbs of pay.Seems you need to be talking to someone else,or get a job elsewhere.
Rosita
July 24, 2020 at 7:44 pm
DeSantis for Prez 2024!
jon
July 24, 2020 at 8:35 pm
AMEN
Booner
July 25, 2020 at 4:59 pm
There is some truth behind the doctor’s comment connecting DeSantis to Skull & Bones secret society. Not so outlandish, the doctor’s comment is perfectly aligned with the teachings of this cult and should be given due consideration.
To be initiated into S&B, Yale cult members take an oath to prioritize a New World Order. They vow to work towards the group’s goals, one of which is to “cull the herd” of global population dramatically. They are taught to believe that eliminating over 7 billion people will produce an ideal world, which is to be accomplished by birth control, abortion, infanticide, genocide, wars, and pandemics.
There is no active effort required for DeSantis to support this unspeakable goal of his Skull and Bones membership. He will simply sit on his hands and let people die. No mask mandate, open the schools, open the bars and taverns, open the theme parks, etc. He thinks himself uniquely qualified to determine who lives and who dies.
The Governor’s agenda is obvious by his omissions, and by his actions. What he says is not important, because DeSantis has no compunction about lying, like his Maga cult leader Trump.
Look around, things are likely to get much worse. Is it a coincidence these clowns, cheats, and con men are in charge now, while our civilization self-destructs?
I happen to agree with Dr Ronald Saff. You will never DeSantis go against any of the Skull and Bones mission statements, strategies, or tactics. Do a search on the Georgia Guidestones to see what is being planned for humanity. You may be in for a shock.
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