Recently, Gov. Ron DeSantis sat down with me for a one-hour interview.
I started by praising him for keeping Florida largely open during Covid.
kAm“x ;FDE 925 E@ >2<6 E96 564:D:@? 2D 2 =6256C[” D2JD s6$2?E:D] “pC6 J@F 8@??2 H@CCJ 23@FE E96 52:=J ?6HD 4J4=6n (@CCJ 23@FE J@FC A6CD@?2= A@AF=2C:EJn ]]] x 5:5 ?@E <?@H 9@H :E H2D 8@:?8 E@ H@C< @FE A@=:E:42==J] x H2D 8@:?8 E@ 5@ H92E x E9@F89E H2D C:89E]”k^Am
kAm%92E H@C<65 H6== 7@C u=@C:5:2?D] “x7 J@F =@@< 2E 6I46DD >@CE2=:EJ[ H6 H6C6 E96 =@H6DE :? E96 $F?36=E 2?5 W925X =@H6C 6I46DD >@CE2=:EJ E92? r2=:7@C?:2 2?5 }6H *@C<]”k^Am
kAmx? 255:E:@?[ D:?46 E96 A2?56>:4 DE2CE65[ u=@C:52 82:?65 >@C6 E92? d__[___ ;@3D] |J DE2E6[ }6H *@C<[ =@DE >@C6 E92? a__[___] u=@C:52 @A6?65 D49@@=D BF:4<=J] pD 2 C6DF=E[ <:5D DF776C65 =6DD =62C?:?8 =@DD] v@@5 7@C s6$2?E:D]k^Am
kAms6$2?E:D 2=D@ 32??65 >2D< >2?52E6D]k^Am
kAm“$@>6 =@42= A@=:46 56A2CE>6?ED H6C6 8@:?8 E@ 7:?6 A6@A=6 ]]] (6 <?6642A E96> H:E9 @FC 4=6>6?4J A@H6C ]]] ?@ A6?2=E:6D 7@C H62C:?8 2 >2D< @C ?@E] xE’D J@FC 49@:46]”k^Am
kAm“*@FC 49@:46” :D 2 8C62E E9:?8] qFE s6$2?E:D’ =2HD 2?5 6I64FE:G6 @C56CD @7E6? k6>m=:>:Ek^6>m 49@:46] %@52J ?@ u=@C:52 3FD:?6DD >2J C6BF:C6 :ED 4FDE@>6CD H62C >2D<D @C D9@H AC@@7 @7 G244:?2E:@?]k^Am
kAmx AFD9 324<] “x7 :E’D k6>m>Jk^6>m 3FD:?6DD 2?5 x’> D42C65 ]]] H9J 42?’E xn”k^Am
kAm“*@F 5@ 92G6 7C665@> E@ 49@@D6[ 3FE D@ 5@ :?5:G:5F2=D[” 2?DH6CD s6$2?E:D] “x? u=@C:52[ H6’G6 ;FDE 4@?D:DE6?E=J D:565 H:E9 E96 :?5:G:5F2=]”k^Am
kAmqFE A6@A=6 H9@ @H? 3FD:?6DD6D @C H9@ H2?E E@ 36 DFCC@F?565 3J >2D<D 2C6 :?5:G:5F2=D[ E@@]k^Am
kAmu=@C:52 5@6D 8:G6 A2C6?ED 2 49@:46 H96? :E 4@>6D E@ A:4<:?8 2 D49@@=] x? 724E[ E92?<D E@ s6$2?E:D[ u=@C:52 =625D E96 ?2E:@? :? D49@@= 49@:46[ @776C:?8 A2C6?ED Sg[___ D49@=2CD9:AD E96J 42? E2<6 E@ 2 36EE6C D49@@=] $@ H9J 42?’E A2C6?ED 49@@D6 2 D49@@= H:E9 2 >2D< >2?52E6nk^Am
kAm“q642FD6 :E’D :CC2E:@?2=[” C6A=:6D s6$2?E:D] “wJDE6C:2 E@@< @G6C 6G:56?46\32D65 2?2=JD:D ]]] E96 A@=:4J D9@F=5?’E 36 32D65 @? 762C]”k^Am
kAm}@[ :E D9@F=5?’E 36] qFE H9:=6 >2D< >2?52E6D H6C6 @7E6? :CC2E:@?2=[ 2?5 A@DD:3=J 92C>7F= E@ 49:=5C6?[ @?6\D:K6\7:ED\2== CF=6D 2C6 92C>7F=[ E@@]k^Am
kAmx 492?86 E96 E@A:4 E@ :>>:8C2E:@?]k^Am
kAm{2DE DF>>6C[ s6$2?E:D 7=6H d_ >:8C2?ED E@ |2CE92’D ':?6J2C5 — 2 DEF?E >62?E E@ 6IA@D6 E96 9JA@4C:DJ @7 A=246D 564=2C:?8 E96>D6=G6D “D2?4EF2CJ” ;FC:D5:4E:@?D]k^Am
kAm“{:36C2= 6=:E6D ]]] 5@?’E 6G6C 7246 2?J @7 E96 4@?D6BF6?46D[” 4@>A=2:?D s6$2?E:D] “%@H?D :? %6I2D 2C6 86EE:?8 @G6CCF?]”k^Am
kAm|65:2 42==65 9:D DEF?E “4CF6=]” p =2HJ6C 7@C >:8C2?ED 4C:E:4:K65 s6$2?E:D 7@C ?@E A9@?:?8 “|2CE92’D ':?6J2C5 D@ E92E 6G6? E96 >@DE 32D:4 9F>2? ?665D 2CC2?86>6?ED 4@F=5 36 >256]”k^Am
kAmx C625 E92E E@ s6$2?E:D] w6 C6A=:6D[ “s@ J@F E9:?< E96D6 %6I2D 3@C56C E@H?D 2C6 92G:?8 A6@A=6 42== 29625nP”k^Am
kAm“|@DE @7 E9@D6 A6@A=6 E92E H6?E E@ E96 G:?6J2C5[” 96 255D[ “H6C6 E92?<7F= E@ 36 :? E92E 2C62 ]]] %96J H6C6 ?@E EC62E65 H6== 3J q:56?]”k^Am
kAm%@52J’D 72G@C:E6 >65:2 “92E6\s6$2?E:D” E@A:4 :D 9:D !2C6?E2= #:89ED :? t5F42E:@? =2H] rC:E:4D D>62C :E 3J 42==:?8 :E E96 “s@?’E $2J v2J” =2H]k^Am
kAm%96 =2H 32?D “4=2DDC@@> :?DECF4E:@? ]]] @? D6IF2= @C:6?E2E:@? @C 86?56C :56?E:EJ]”k^Am
kAm“%C2?D86?56C @C AC@3:?8 D@>6 DEF56?E’D D6IF2=:EJ[ E92E :D ?@E 2AAC@AC:2E6 7@C E96 D49@@=D] (6’C6 8@:?8 E@ =62G6 E92E E@ A2C6?ED E@ 5:D4FDD]”k^Am
kAmqFE “:E 42? 4@>6 FA[” x D2J] w@H 72C 5@6D E96 32? 8@n “p 82J E62496C 4@F=5 D2J 96’D 82Jn”k^Am
kAm“~FC =2H 5@6D?’E 27764E E92E[” s6$2?E:D 2?DH6CD] p=D@[ E96 564:D:@? E@ E6249 D6I 65F42E:@? :D >256 2E E96 5:DEC:4E =6G6=]k^Am
kAmv@@5]k^Am
kAmx 2D<[ “s@6D?’E D49@@= 49@:46 D@=G6 E9:Dn !2C6?ED H9@ H2?E <:5D E2F89E 23@FE 86?56C 492?86D 4@F=5 92G6 E92E]”k^Am
kAm$@>6 AC:G2E6 D49@@=D 5@ E6249 E92E[ D2JD s6$2?E:D] qFE “H96? J@F’C6 E2=<:?8 23@FE H92E E96 E2IA2J6CD 2C6 7F?5:?8[ J@F ;FDE 92G6 E@ >2<6 2 49@:46]”k^Am
kAmu@C cc >:?FE6D[ s6$2?E:D 2?5 x E2=< 23@FEi 9@H p>6C:42 H:== 8@ 3C@<6[ H96E96C 96’5 4FE D@4:2= D64FC:EJ @C C2:D6 C6E:C6>6?E 286[ H92E 56A2CE>6?ED 96’5 4FE :7 96 H6C6 AC6D:56?E[ E96 5CF8 H2C[ 9:D @AA@D:E:@? E@ q2C24< ~32>2’D A=2? E@ D6?5 p>6C:42?D E@ $JC:2[ s@?2=5 %CF>A 2?5 H96E96C s6$2?E:D :D 2 “D=@3 H9@ 62ED AF55:?8 H:E9 9:D 7:?86CD]”k^Am
kAmx 5@?’E E9:?< 9:D DE277 =:<65 D@>6 @7 >J BF6DE:@?D] %96J 4FE @FC :?E6CG:6H D9@CE[ D2J:?8 E96 8@G6C?@C 925 E@ 8@]k^Am
kAm*@F 42? H2E49 :E 2== 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^y@9?$E@DD6=]4@>Qmy@9?$E@DD6=]4@>k^2mk^Am
kAmx =:<6 D@>6 E9:?8D s6$2?E:D D2JD 2?5 5@6D]k^Am
kAmx 2=D@ H@CCJ E92E 96’D 2? 2FE9@C:E2C:2?]k^Am
kAmx? 2?J 42D6[ 96’D 567:?:E6=J D>2CE6C 2?5 36EE6C E92? 3@E9 %CF>A 2?5 q:56?]k^Am
kAmk6>mtG6CJ %F6D52J 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^y@9?$E@DD6=]4@>Qmy@9?$E@DD6=]4@>k^2m[ $E@DD6= A@DED 2 ?6H G:56@ 23@FE E96 32EE=6 36EH66? 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 7C665@>]k^6>mk^Am