Trump, DeSantis campaigns hit each other over pandemic lockdowns

Former President Trump’s presidential campaign attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over his coronavirus policies in a new ad on Tuesday evening, labeling the governor as “lockdown Ron.” 

The thirty-second spot accuses DeSantis of shutting down businesses during the pandemic, driving away tourism, and mandating Floridians to stay in their homes. 

“He wants you to forget but Floridians remember,” the ad says, before showing footage of people complaining about coronavirus restrictions. 

The DeSantis campaign hit back, calling the spot “bizarre.” The campaign rolled out its own video with a compilation of clips of Trump praising Florida for being “open” during the pandemic. 

“You guys aren’t even open yet,” Trump says in a clip during a rally in Pennsylvania. “What the hell is going on in your state? You know Florida’s open.” 

In March of 2020, DeSantis declared a state of emergency in Florida in response to the pandemic. He then imposed a stay-at-home order on April 1, 2020, which was considerably later than other states.

According to a report from NPR released the same day that Florida’s stay-at-home order went into effect, over 30 other states had enacted lockdowns before Florida. DeSantis also faced criticism for not implementing an order sooner or enacting more restrictions. DeSantis announced that Florida could begin the reopening process on April 29, 2020. 

The governor regularly referred to the state as “the free state of Florida,” and received praise from Republicans and conservatives across the country for his pandemic policies. The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held its annual gathering in Florida two years in a row in 2021 and 2022.