A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis is doubling down on his defense of a tennis player shut out of the U.S. Open due to a lack of a COVID-19 vaccination.
DeSantis, in Lakeland Wednesday to rap the Joe Biden administration over a failure to facilitate drug importation from Canada, used some of that speaking time to blast the exclusion of Novak Djokovic from the tennis tourney for the third time in roughly 24 hours.
“You’re banning Djokovic from coming into the United States to play tennis? When he has already had COVID, and first of all, he’s probably at zero-risk anyways because he’s in such good shape. Why would you be excluding on the basis of that and they don’t recognize a reason why someone would opt against it?”
Applause followed DeSantis’ defense of vaccine abstention, the latest proof that the Djokovic defense is a crowd pleaser this news cycle, as it followed up a two-for-Tuesday on DeSantis tennis commentary.
“You think about some of these mandates that have been done in the last couple of years. You still see them now,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Fort Pierce. “They’re not letting Djokovic come to the United States to play in the U.S. Open because of the shot!”
“He’s already had COVID,” DeSantis litigated. “And the shot is not, it’s not stopping you from getting this. It’s so bizarre. It’s so stupid that they’re doing this, but you had a lot of these bizarre policies going on in these other states.”
“You’re letting people come across the border without shots, but you won’t let him come in and compete,” DeSantis complained in Live Oak just hours later.
DeSantis seems more bothered than the veteran Djokovic, a three-time champion of the tourney who was upbeat about the non-participation when he announced it on Twitter last week.
“Sadly, I will not be able to travel to NY this time for US Open. Thank you #NoleFam for your messages of love and support. Good luck to my fellow players! I’ll keep in good shape and positive spirit and wait for an opportunity to compete again. See you soon tennis world!”
The tourney likewise looked forward to a future without travel bans on unvaccinated foreign nationals.
“Novak is a great champion and it is very unfortunate that he will be unable to compete at the 2022 U.S. Open, as he is unable to enter the country due to the federal government’s vaccination policy for non-U.S. citizens,” said Stacey Allaster, the U.S. Open tournament director, to the Associated Press. “We look forward to welcoming Novak back at the 2023 U.S. Open.”
15 comments
Charlie Crist
August 31, 2022 at 11:31 am
Send Ron and Donald your money! They will make you so rich AWWWW HAW HAW HAW!!!😂
Give you job at Mar-a-Lago cleaning toilets while they swim in swimming pools full of cash AHHH HA HA HA AHHH…
Paul Passarelli
August 31, 2022 at 11:35 am
This seems like an opportunity for a writ of mandamus for US Border Patrol.
If the ** NO ADMITTANCE ** is necessary for professionals, who are fully capable of isolating while not working, to lawfully travel to the US , then it’s absolutely necessary for *** ILLEGAL ALIENS *** who will be living, eating, and sleeping communally!!!
Tjb
August 31, 2022 at 11:44 am
What does Desantis know about Covid prevention? Nothing!
Florida has 6.5 % of the USA population and 9.2 % of the Covid deaths. Got to love DeSantis, he has given us the freedom to die maskless and unvaccinated
On a per capita basis Florida has more covid deaths than states such as California and New York.
Paul Passarelli
August 31, 2022 at 1:21 pm
see below — WordPress is on the fritz again
Jason Bryant
August 31, 2022 at 6:59 pm
Two-thirds of Americans have the freedom to be overweight or obese and die. So yes, American should have the freedom to choose their risk of death from Covid. Glad we agree. No obesity mandates, no covid mandates.
PeterH
August 31, 2022 at 11:52 am
“DeSantis’s knows more than America’s epidemiologist!”
Open the door for one tennis player …. You must open the door to thousands of unvaccinated.
Arrivals coming across the Mexican boarder are vaccinated before being released into the USA.
Paul Passarelli
August 31, 2022 at 6:02 pm
If you believe that arrivals coming across the Mexican border are vaccinated before being released into the USA., I’ve got a bridge in Brooklyn that I’m selling shares in. It’s made of stone, it’s historic…
Paul Passarelli
August 31, 2022 at 1:20 pm
Lots of us are more than willing to keep our precious freedom for a slightly increased risk from a nothingburger virus.
Those of you that would sacrifice your freedoms for a false sense of security earn only our contempt.
UH
August 31, 2022 at 2:01 pm
Apparently for some people, precious freedom means you’re free to be dumb.
FYI, your “nothingburger virus” is the 4th leading cause of death in the United States now. Good luck?
Paul Passarelli
August 31, 2022 at 2:40 pm
What was your point?
1) Heart disease — I want the freedom to eat what I want, salt, fat, etc.
2) Accidents & stroke — an odd mix, but I refuse to wear OSHA prescribed bubble-wrap everywhere I go.
3) COVID — Notice that this is down to 12% of deaths during the greatest spike in mortality we’ve seen in recent history. Also notice that it fails to list the *multitude* of co-morbidities, but instead tallies deaths *WITH* covid, not deaths due to covid.
So yes, I value my freedoms far more then your life. Yes, let me state that again. I value my freedoms far more then I value you life of the life of anyone that would attempt to take my freedom away.
You can call it dumb, but that’s because you really have no idea how valuable freedom is. And for that reason I can only pity you, but I won’t even make an effort to appease you.
Paul Passarelli
August 31, 2022 at 2:42 pm
During the 20-month period studied, COVID-19 accounted for 1 in 8 deaths (or 697,000 deaths) in the United States. Heart disease was the number one cause of death, followed by cancer, with these two causes of death accounting for a total of 2.15 million deaths. Accidents and stroke were the fourth and fifth leading causes of death. In every age group 15 years and older, COVID-19 was one of the top five causes of death during this period.
PeterH
August 31, 2022 at 9:26 pm
Heart disease, accidents and stroke ARE NOT CONTAGIOUS.
COVID IS HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS!
GOD ….what planet did you arrive from?
Don’t Look Up
August 31, 2022 at 6:40 pm
You’ve misspelled FREEDUMB!
Fake conservatives always use the proper spelling.
See House “FREEDUMB CAUCUS” for example
Paul Passarelli
August 31, 2022 at 7:37 pm
wordpress messed up again, see below.
Oh Bacigalupe, you are just too funny. BTW When did you make the move to the Sunshine State? How much time did you do for that destruction of private property charge in Westchester?
Paul Passarelli
August 31, 2022 at 7:35 pm
Oh Bacigalupe, you are just too funny. BTW When did you make the move to the Sunshine State? How much time did you do for that destruction of private property charge in Westchester?
Comments are closed.