Uproar over Surgeon General nominee is ‘manufactured’

Gov. Ron DeSantis told a national cable television audience that uproar over his appointed Surgeon General was “manufactured” and that he had no plans to withdraw the nomination of Dr. Joseph Ladapo.

DeSantis recorded an interview with Fox News personality Laura Ingraham on Thursday, but part of it did not air until late Friday.

The Governor was asked about Sen.Tina Polsky and her decision to ask Ladapo to leave her office because he refused to wear a mask even after she told him she had a serious medical condition. Polsky was diagnosed with breast cancer and this week began radiation treatment.

Ladapo, who was appointed to his post in late September, later released a statement saying he refused to wear a mask because he cannot communicate clearly or effectively with a mask.

DeSantis said the backlash over Ladapo, which has led to Polsky being interviewed on several different national news outlets, was “manufactured” and that Polsky was “using it to get political air time.”

He also said “the idea that he should be withdrawn is ridiculous.”

DeSantis’ decision to continue to back Ladapo comes even as there are signs that his confirmation may be a hard sell in the Senate.

Senate President Wilton Simpson called Ladapo’s actions “unprofessional” and, in an interview with Florida Politics this week, said that Ladapo “should have some manners.”

During his interview with the sympathetic Ingraham, DeSantis lamented that Florida isn’t getting enough attention for its falling COVID-19 case count, though he did not acknowledge there have been nearly 60,000 deaths in the state due to COVID-19, of which more than 20,000 have been recorded in the last three months.

“I guess Florida is no longer part of the United States,” DeSantis said. “They pretend like we no longer exist.”

DeSantis sidestepped the idea that he’s trying to lure unvaccinated police officers to Florida — an idea that gained a lot of attention due to comments he made over the weekend to Fox News.

DeSantis first pitched the idea of providing $5,000 bonuses to either new recruits or transplants back in August during a speech at the national convention of the Fraternal Order of Police.

The Republican Governor told Ingraham the proposal still needs legislative approval, but that it wasn’t just about vaccination status. He said the idea behind the incentive was to reach out to police who have a “lack of support” from elected officials where they currently work.

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