ORLANDO, Fla. Speakers at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday and Saturday called on the New York government, Andrew Cuomo, and US top epidemiologist Anthony Fauci.
They contrasted how Cuomo and Fauci approached the pandemic over how the Florida government, Ron DeSantis, did. DeSantis was one of the governors most suspicious of the pandemic-related locks and restrictions, while Cuomo and Fauci called for more restrictions aimed at spreading the virus that killed more than 500,000 Americans. stop.
“You know, Governor, some of your colleagues are getting Emmies for acting,” said American Conservative Union President Matt Schlapp as he introduced DeSantis, who opened the conference. He refers to Cuomo, who received an Emmy last year for his coronavirus briefings.
“We are pleased that we are in a state that has a governor who deserves the People’s Choice Award,” Schlapp added.
Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York, speaks at a press conference to discuss the first positive case of novel coronavirus or COVID-19 in New York State on March 2, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Angela Weiss / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images)
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DeSantis did not name Fauci or Cuomo, but he did describe Florida as an ‘oasis of freedom’.
Other big speakers hammered Cuomo more explicitly, including Donald Trump Jr., who delivered Friday’s most sensational address.
“Imagine Ron DeSantis doing what Cuomo has been doing for the past few years. He would not get an Emmy, he would be in jail,” Trump Jr. said. “Credible allegations of harassment swept under the rug, verbal harassment swept under the rug, evidence of the DOJ sweeping under the rug, no problem. Give him an Emmy! Do you remember Fredo when he talked about it for months? “Where is Fredo? He’s so quiet these days! Why is Fredo not talking about these things now?”
Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Also hammered Cuomo. The firefighter’s congressman has become one of the most outspoken supporters of expelling Republicans who are considered unfaithful to former President Donald Trump. Gaetz received a standing ovation that lasted more than four minutes after his Friday speech.
“The fake news media and their allies in Silicon Valley have made Governor Cuomo an iconic cross between King David and Tom Brady,” Gaetz said. “What a big lie it seems to be. According to former assistants, Governor Cuomo has offered to replace staff meetings with strip poker.”
In this December 22, 2020, file photo, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, speaks, before receiving his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD. . (AP Photo / Patrick Semansky, Pool, File)
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“Meanwhile, they stripped Grandma from the COVID ward in the hospital and threw her in the nursing home, just enough time to infect everyone, and then go to the hospital again so that deaths for politics could be recategorized,” he adds . “What about the fact that we will ditch the lock-up governors like Cuomo and Newsom ad Murphy and never let the American way of life and the American spirit swing?”
The government of South Dakota, Kristi Noem, has meanwhile attacked both Fauci and Cuomo. She has seen her profile rise within the IDP for similar reasons as DeSantis. She refused to close her state, by keeping schools open and keeping the economy going.
“We never focused on case numbers. We rather watched the capacity of the hospital,” Noem said. “Dr. Fauci told me that on our worst day I would have 10,000 COVID patients in the hospital. On our worst day we had a little over 600. I do not know if you agree, but Fauci is very wrong!”
Donald Trump Jr. conducts an interview on the media series during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Friday, February 26, 2021 in Orlando, Florida (AP Photo / John Raoux)
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She added about Cuomo: ‘At one point I appeared in George Stephanopoulos’ Sunday show. “He just closed a section with Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, and he asked Cuomo to give me advice on how to deal with COVID.”
“This is the COVID hero of the media,” Noem added, referring to the scandal-ridden governor. “Who really needed the advice?”
Cuomo denies the allegations against him about sexual assault. He also claimed that his government followed federal guidance when it placed coronavirus patients in nursing homes, although it did not stop sending elderly patients back to their group homes before the federal guidance changed.
Fauci and his defenders said their recommendations on the virus, which did not exist before 2019, evolved as Americans’ understanding of the virus developed. They also say the strict recommendations reflect the large number of deaths the virus can and has caused.
Many at CPAC have complained about masking rules in the venue, which is not because of DeSantis, but because of Orange County, Fla., And the Hyatt where the conference is being held. Some wear mesh masks or simply wear the mask rules openly. Events outside the CPAC conference include large crowds with very few people wearing masks.
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CPAC will close on Sunday when Trump will hold the keynote address. He intends to emphasize that he is still the leader of the party, as many of his allies have said in previous speeches and interviews.
But DeSantis’ handling of the pandemic has improved its profile so much that many people at CPAC predict that it will be him and not Trump the 2024 GOP candidate.
Fox Nation is a sponsor of CPAC.
Fox News Alexandra Rego, Joseph A. Wulfsohn and Charles Creitz contributed to this report.