Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is using Dr. Anthony Fauci’s record of changing his position as a way to both mock Fauci and make a few campaign dollars.
A new campaign ad features Fauci changing his position on multiple COVID-19 issues.
“Dr. Fauci. He flips. He flops. But he can’t stop freedom in Florida,” the ad’s text says.
It closes with a pair of flip-flops in the sand with the text, “Fauci can pound sand” shown.
The flip-flops are not just any old bit of beach footwear.
A strap on the top reads, “freedom over Fauci,” while on the sole, the words “pound sand” are printed.
The DeSantis campaign tweeted the ad with a jab at Fauci.
“After 600+ days of ineffective lockdowns & mandates, 3 things are certain with Dr. Fauci: He flips. He flops. He fails. To commemorate Fauci’s flip flopping, we’re launching EXCLUSIVE Freedom Over Fauci Flip Flops on our Team DeSantis storefront,” the campaign tweeted.
After 600+ days of ineffective lockdowns & mandates, 3 things are certain with Dr. Fauci:
He flips. He flops. He fails.
To commemorate Fauci’s flip flopping, we’re launching EXCLUSIVE Freedom Over Fauci Flip Flops on our Team DeSantis storefront. ?⬇️?https://t.co/CwBvzv4uqo pic.twitter.com/NCL07fwyBV
— Team DeSantis (@teamrondesantis) January 21, 2022
The ad drew the ire of MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough, according to the Washington Examiner.
“The stupidity in this one is very strong,” he said. “I thought his ads four years ago were the dumbest ads I’ve ever seen, where he’s reading Donald Trump bedtime stories to his baby, who I’m betting is sorry he did that now.”
Scarborough then jabbed the Republican governor’s supporters by saying, “I guess stupid people will like the ad.”
He said Fauci’s ever-changing wisdom is simply a reflection of changing information.
“To attack a guy because, well, the realities of a virus change as the virus changes as the virus moves, as the virus, you know, mutates. It just — again, the height of stupidity. It got him elected last time. I suppose it will get him elected again this time, but just, again, so stupid. It should make your teeth hurt,” he said.
As noted by Florida Politics, Fauci has been a frequent target for DeSantis.
“Dr. Fauci is at it again, folks,” the website quoted DeSantis as saying. “He took to national TV — where he spends most of his time — to pledge support for a permanent mask mandate for air travel. What started as ’15 days to slow the spread’ has now descended into permanent Faucism.
“Fauci doesn’t care about doing what’s right or using even basic common sense,” DeSantis went on. “He’s too caught up in TV interviews, magazine covers, and the adulation and acceptance from elitists that he’s likely craved his entire life.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.