‘Pathetic failure of leadership’: Ron DeSantis blasts Joe Biden’s school reopening plan
Gov. Ron DeSantis says President Joe Biden and Democrats are beholden to teachers' unions on the matter of reopening schools. Image via Facebook/Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis UNF 2
Gov. Ron DeSantis says the President should be more ambitious on reopening schools.

Gov. Ron DeSantis made a rare direct attack against President Joe Biden, accusing the President of a “pathetic failure of leadership” on reopening schools.

During an interview airing Sunday with Mark Levin on Fox News, the Governor said the evidence is clear that in-person education hasn’t caused COVID-19 outbreaks. Democrats, including Biden, are listening more to teachers’ unions than the science, DeSantis leveled.

“This is just purely being subservient to a special interest, and Biden has been one of the worst in it, because when he says, ‘My goal is to get 50% of the schools in person in 100 days,’ we’ve already had that,” DeSantis said. “His goal should have been yesterday to get everybody back in school, but he can’t do that because he doesn’t want to upset the teachers’ union.”

Biden this month promised that a majority of elementary schools would be open five days a week by the end of his first 100 days in office, restating his goal after his administration came under fire when aides said schools would be considered open if they held in-person learning just one day a week. Republicans seized on that confusion in the subsequent days, and DeSantis joined in those attacks.

“It’s a pathetic failure of leadership to not stand up for these kids and for these families,” he said.

School closures have disproportionately affected students from low-income, blue-collar and middle-class families, the Governor said.

“The wealthy son and daughters of, say, elected officials and other powerful people, they’re sending their kids in person in private schools, but they’re not affording that right to the folks who need to go to the public school system,” he added.

He has even heard of parents moving to Florida to get their kids into classrooms or onto the football field, he claimed.

Earlier this month, DeSantis reiterated that schools would remain open in Florida after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidance recommending hybrid, remote or virtual learning based on community spread levels.

DeSantis contended the measures would shutter thousands of schools, many of which are already open for in-person learning. He estimated the guidance would shut down nearly 90% of schools nationwide.

Renzo Downey

Renzo Downey covers state government for Florida Politics. After graduating from Northwestern University in 2019, Renzo began his reporting career in the Lone Star State, covering state government for the Austin American-Statesman. Shoot Renzo an email at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @RenzoDowney.


19 comments

  • jpmiller

    February 28, 2021 at 11:27 pm

    dumb leadership what else can be said about one that’s beaten simple things that has fail for Florida under a Childs leadership what’s next ….more failure never had it NEVER will….FLORIDA WAKE UP!!!

  • Sonja Fitch

    March 1, 2021 at 5:30 am

    Omg Duffus Desantis is “running for President “. BS. My Lordy Duffus hush. In 34 days President Biden is representing Americans! So refreshing intstead of listening to the goptrump death cult sociopath leader and you Duffus Desantis bragging and killing Floridians and Americans. Vote Democrat up and down ballot for the elections in 2022!

    • Noneya B.

      March 1, 2021 at 8:07 am

      Speak for yourself, retard. Creepy, Sleep Joe represents you, not America.

      • 27fred

        March 1, 2021 at 10:42 am

        New York State population 19.4 million 47,143 covid deaths Florida population 21.74 million covid deaths 30,851 Just the fact

    • Tina Bauman

      March 1, 2021 at 11:49 am

      Don’t New York my Florida!

    • America First

      March 2, 2021 at 10:17 am

      Democrats want to: ✔️Close your businesses and close your schools. ✔️Abolish the police and open borders. ✔️Side with our enemies and abandon our friends. It’s all backwards. But the good news: Democrats have revealed exactly who they are. I thank God every day that I live in the FREE State of Florida!

    • Aqua Rius

      March 2, 2021 at 8:03 pm

      Joe Biden is a model Dem. What he’s done for this country in his first few weeks is beyond imagination. He has killed thousands of jobs, stimulated raising fuel prices by making sure the US is no longer fuel independent, opened our borders to any Tom, Dick or Harry, pouring in by thousands without social distancing, destroyed girl’s sports, opened locker rooms, bathrooms, dorms for whoever wants to be whatever sex, rejoined the WHO that was dishonest with the US re COVID and is a puppet for China, paying roughly 3x what China pays (bad idea and horrible negotiator), Nancy is getting a subway in SF, Schumer is getting a bridge (we can only guess how this helps COVID), oh yes, rejoined Paris Climate which costs US lots of money despite China, India and other countries not being members continuing to pollute more than the US. Gotta love Biden. He’s great!

    • Jim Prince

      March 6, 2021 at 6:48 pm

      Illegals are crossing the border by the thousands, no mask, no social distancing, each getting a $1100.00 check and a bus trip to where ever. Children are held and asked where there parents are and the border agents go into Mexico to bring there parents to the US. All receiving an $1100.00 check and a bus ticket to where ever. You as and American Citizen can do none of this, stay on lockdown, restaurants going under and the illegals get a free ride on your dime, Ahole.

  • trump lost

    March 1, 2021 at 8:27 am

    Leadership, lol!

    Desantis wants workers to know their place! Keep your head down, mouth shut, and produce! You have no voice in this discussion. I guess this is no surprise for a state that is at the very bottom for teacher pay.

    And he’s heard of people moving to Florida for the schools? LOL! Yeah, sure they are moving to state with schools that consistently rank 45th in the country.

    Desantis and the new repub party don’t care about students. They care about keeping the economy running to line the pockets of the rich on the back of the working class.

    Leadership….right. Come back when you actually show some.

    • Jon

      March 1, 2021 at 9:48 am

      None of this is true. You must be watching a lot of CNN.

  • James Robert Miles

    March 1, 2021 at 8:40 am

    No one is better at “failed leadership” than DeSatan who is just another Trump butt-kisser! DeSatan is working hard to be a one termer and is very successful at it. His failed leadership at handling Covid is the perfect example!

  • 27fred

    March 1, 2021 at 10:47 am

    New York State population 19.4 million 47,143 covid deaths Florida population 21.74 million covid deaths 30,851 just the facts one state is in financial rune the other is thriving.

  • High Death Counts for Blue States

    March 1, 2021 at 10:49 am

    Have anyone of you looked up the covid deaths for Florida compared to your loving blue states? Then talk about failure.

  • Lost Sheep

    March 1, 2021 at 10:53 am

    Have any of you looked up the death counts compared to your other loving democratic ran states to Florida? It ain’t pretty.

    • Jgees

      March 1, 2021 at 6:01 pm

      Those trolls that complain about the awesome Desantis actually probably live in Florida or a red state. Those kind of people need to live in their beloved blue states, NY or California.

  • Kevin R Morin

    March 2, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    DeSatan has already killed off more Floridians than his margin of victory in 2018. He has no mandate!

    • Bella

      March 2, 2021 at 11:52 pm

      Me too.

  • David Simonson

    March 6, 2021 at 10:53 pm

    As a physician and father it has become apparent to me that politics has trumped science and reason. Governor DeSantis has used facts to make educated, non emotional decisions that have protected our children. As he said Florida is now #2 in top scores for standardized tests. Our children’s education and mental health is more important than political power grabs. Anyone who disagrees is erroring on politics rather than science.

Comments are closed.


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