The Point: Ron DeSantis' 2024 road just hit a major Covid-19 bump

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July 26, 2021 | by Chris Cillizza and Lauren Dezenski

Ron DeSantis' 2024 road just hit a major Covid-19 bump

For the past year or so, Ron DeSantis has been on a roll.

The Florida Republican governor's laissez-faire approach to Covid-19 -- and the relatively low number of cases and deaths in such a large and elderly state -- turned him into a celebrity in the same circles where Donald Trump is a secular saint.

Except that, suddenly, Florida's numbers don't look so good with the Delta variant of the coronavirus punishing the state.

As the Wall Street Journal wrote over the weekend:

"The state accounts for one in five new infections in the U.S. and logged 73,181 cases over the past week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Florida had 341 cases per 100,000 people over the past week, second only to Louisiana. The weekly total of new cases reported by Florida jumped more than fourfold between July 1 and July 22, reaching its highest point since mid-January."

That surge has put pressure on DeSantis to take formal steps to limit the spread. He has, to date, resisted those efforts -- including any reconsideration of his order that kids returning to school in the state don't need to wear masks.

"We need our kids to be able to be kids," DeSantis said late last week. "We need them to be able to breathe. It's terribly uncomfortable for them to do it."

DeSantis has gone much more public with calls for unvaccinated Floridians to get the shot(s). "If you are vaccinated, fully vaccinated, the chance of you getting seriously ill or dying from COVID is effectively zero," he said at a news conference. "These vaccines are saving lives."

That public service message, however, ran directly into DeSantis' position as the heir to the Trump coalition in 2024. Fauci's campaign website was selling beverage-cooling sleeves that read "DON'T FAUCI MY FLORIDA," a reference to the science-based guidance in regard to the pandemic offered up by Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Depending on what you think of DeSantis, he has either been good or lucky to date in the pandemic. But the rising number of cases in Florida -- coupled with the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant -- poses a challenge that he hasn't had to deal with yet.

DeSantis seems likely to be faced with a clear challenge sometime soon: Do what's right for the state of Florida or continue to play to his 2024 ambitions by refusing to acknowledge that mitigation practices -- masks, social distancing, etc. -- are necessary and attacking the likes of Fauci.

The Point: Given the case numbers in Florida, things are likely to get worse before they get better. Which means that this is a major moment for DeSantis.

-- Chris

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I think that probably says more about them than it does for us."

-- GOP Rep. Adam Kinzinger on calls within the Republican caucus to punish him and Rep. Liz Cheney for joining the 1/6 special commission.

MONDAY's MUST-SEE TWEETS

1. Kevin McCarthy vs. Liz Cheney, again

2. The BIF is on the ropes

3. A 🧵on Covid-19 -- and life expectancy

4. Vaccines shouldn't be political. But they are.

5. What the Delta variant means for the economy

6. What's not an Olympic sport but should be?

CHRIS' GOOD READS

How loyal are Republicans to former President Donald Trump? Well, they want to punish fellow GOPers who are willing to serve on the 1/6 committee, according to CNN.

This Matt Lewis piece on the power of loneliness as fuel for the Trump epidemic is insightful.

The impacts of our 16-month (and counting) vaccine lockdown are just now being considered. One fascinating one: Younger people don't want to ever go back to the office again, according to The New York Times.

Joe Manchin is at the center of the Senate's power struggle right now. But does he plan to stick around for another term after 2024? It's an important question that Politico smartly asks.

I ❤️ that The Drive did a deep dive into the FAA records on unidentified aerial phenomena.

NBA free agency is almost here! (It's like summer Christmas!) The Ringer has a terrific preview of the wildness to come.

MUSICAL INTERLUDE

I can't get enough of the new Rostam album (it's definitely one of my favorites of the year so far). So, I really dug this live performance by him and his band for World Cafe.

-- Chris

A FIRST IN VACCINATION MANDATES

The Department of Veterans Affairs became the first federal agency to mandate Covid-19 vaccinations for many of its frontline health workers.

The agency said on Monday vaccines would be compulsory for its physicians, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, registered nurses, physician assistants, expanded-function dental auxiliaries and chiropractors.

"Whenever a Veteran or VA employee sets foot in a VA facility, they deserve to know that we have done everything in our power to protect them from COVID-19," Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said. "With this mandate, we can once again make — and keep — that fundamental promise."

ONE CONSISTENT JOB APPROVAL

53%

President Biden's approval rating has remained steady at 53%, no matter how you calculate said average, according to CNN's Harry Enten. Over the course of Biden's first six months in office, his approval rating has never risen above 55% or fallen below 51% in an average of polls.

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