Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently commented on the preemptive pardons that former President Joe Biden granted to Dr. Anthony Fauci, suggesting that it may have unintended consequences for the Covid czar. DeSantis focused on the ongoing speculation regarding the possibility of Fauci facing prosecution at the state level, where the federal pardon does not offer him any protection.
During a press conference, a reporter highlighted to DeSantis that while Fauci is shielded from federal crimes, he is not exempt from state crimes, prompting laughter from the audience. The Florida governor recognized it as a “good” question before referencing some recent discoveries related to Fauci that Elon Musk had revealed.
“I don’t know if you have seen this Elon Musk information,” DeSantis began. “They identified 180,000 for a commemoration of Fauci at NIH headquarters. What exactly are they commemorating about Fauci? At best, one could argue that during the pandemic, which was the Super Bowl of public health, he completely mishandled it. That’s the most favorable interpretation, without even delving into gain of function research and all the other elements of that betrayal, how can one hold him in high regard?”
DeSantis went on, “At best, one must concede that he failed when this nation was in need of leadership. He was constantly on television… I have never witnessed anyone conduct as many TV interviews as he did.” The governor then humorously remarked, “I wondered why he wasn’t analyzing the data. And I realized it was because he was always giving interviews. That’s the reason he wasn’t examining the data.”
Addressing Biden’s pardon, DeSantis elaborated on how it actually brought more scrutiny to Fauci. “However, the issue is that Biden issued a preemptive pardon for him, which is peculiar, because if he did nothing wrong, why the pardon? So the question arises, what about state actions? I believe the pardon has increased the likelihood that states will investigate this matter further.
DeSantis elaborated that state attorneys general possess the authority to investigate Fauci. Highlighting the unintended consequences of the pardon, the governor remarked, “I believe that if Biden had not pardoned him, the states would not have taken such actions.” He further articulated how this entire situation could potentially “backfire” on Fauci.
“I believe they would have yielded to the Trump administration,” DeSantis observed. “The reason this could backfire on Fauci is that even if Biden had not pardoned him, had the Trump administration initiated charges against Fauci in, for instance, DC, it would be unlikely to prosecute someone from the swamp. If the jury consists of individuals from the swamp, they will acquit. They safeguard the swamp.”
View DeSantis’s comments below:
DeSantis concluded, “If you examine some of these other states, the jury pools could potentially differ significantly. Therefore, I believe we have not reached a conclusion on this matter. I consider it quite possible that the new Attorney General in Florida will investigate this type of issue, but I also expect that other states may take similar actions, which could ultimately backfire on Fauci. Biden aimed to protect him from facing consequences, but this may have inadvertently triggered state-level initiatives to hold him accountable.
