Tallahassee doctor suggests Gov. DeSantis is part of ‘far-right wing death cult’ during Nikki Fried roundtable

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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.