Psaki Blasted Over Misleading Attack On DeSantis: ‘Trying To Distract From Her Boss’s Failures’

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki faced backlash on Wednesday over her misleading attack on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ efforts to get his state vaccinated, with critics saying that her attack was nothing more than an attempt to deflect from President Joe Biden’s struggles to get the pandemic under control.

The Daily Wire reported:

Psaki commented on a clip posted by a leftist Twitter account that sought to portray DeSantis’ remarks in a negative light while excluding the overwhelming majority of what he actually said.

“Joe Biden [has] taken to himself to try to single out Florida over COVID,” DeSantis says in the selectively-edited clip. “This is a guy who ran for president saying he was going to, quote, ‘shut down the virus.’ And what has he done? He’s imported more virus from around the world by having a wide open southern border.”

“23% of new COVID hospitalizations in the U.S are in Florida, and their hospitals are being overwhelmed again,” Psaki claimed. “We are doing everything we can to help the people of FL, and they’re stepping up by getting vaccinated – we hope @GovRonDeSantis joins us in this fight.”

The following are just a few of the responses that Psaki’s tweet elicited online:

The Florida Republican Party: “@PressSec, Florida hospital directors say @GovRonDeSantis was 100% right to prioritize vaccines to #seniorsfirst––it saved lives. #COVID19 hospitalization stays are shorter, monoclonal treatments are working, & there’s been a significant reduction in mortality rates since 2020.”

.@PressSec, Florida hospital directors say @GovRonDeSantis was 100% right to prioritize vaccines to #seniorsfirst––it saved lives. #COVID19 hospitalization stays are shorter, monoclonal treatments are working, & there's been a significant reduction in mortality rates since 2020. https://t.co/Ge5AqG4Oec

— Florida GOP (@FloridaGOP) August 4, 2021

Dana Loesch, political commentator: “McAllen, TX was declared a disaster area due to the admin’s insistence on maintaining an unsecured border and the potential problems posed by third party tested COVID positive illegal entrants.”

McAllen, TX was declared a disaster area due to the admin’s insistence on maintaining an unsecured border and the potential problems posed by third party tested COVID positive illegal entrants. https://t.co/bAAVStSyzy https://t.co/tvmlWHx5k8

— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) August 4, 2021

Sam Nunberg, top former adviser to Donald Trump: “Great job elevating @RonDeSantisFL so Americans can start comparing an articulate, vibrant patriot who is managing the top state in the Union against the bumbling, geriatric failure you call boss.”

https://twitter.com/NunbergSam/status/1423064183399124996

John Cooper, Communications Director at the Heritage Foundation: “The Biden administration is literally releasing thousands of COVID-positive illegal aliens into U.S. border towns cities every week. Spare the fake outrage over your own disastrous policies.”

https://twitter.com/thejcoop/status/1423022889851408386

Matt Whitlock, political strategist: “Jen Psaki has spent most of the last 2 weeks frantically trying to undo the damage of the CDC’s disastrous messaging on the Delta spike. They clearly see DeSantis as a better scapegoat to change the subject from their own failures.”

Jen Psaki has spent most of the last 2 weeks frantically trying to undo the damage of the CDC’s disastrous messaging on the Delta spike.

They clearly see DeSantis as a better scapegoat to change the subject from their own failures. https://t.co/BiBXK2GARZ

— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) August 4, 2021

Michele Perez Exner, communications coordinator for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA): “Here is the WH going more aggressively against a Governor that has done the best job by far of balancing protecting public health with the economic/education needs of his residents, than they did with a governor who sexually harassed at least 11 women.”

Here is the WH going more aggressively against a Governor that has done the best job by far of balancing protecting public health with the economic/education needs of his residents, than they did with a governor who sexually harassed at least 11 women. https://t.co/gLJXcfOM1O

— Michele Perez Exner (@michelepexner) August 4, 2021

Bryan Dean Wright, Democrat and former CIA officer: “The Biden Regime is sending COVID+ illegal immigrants into Florida and has the audacity to say this.”

The Biden Regime is sending COVID+ illegal immigrants into Florida and has the audacity to say this: https://t.co/w7uMmAzUKd

— BDW (@BryanDeanWright) August 4, 2021

Mike Cernovich, political commentator: “You heard Press Sec, @GovRonDeSantis. Florida is too dangerous to keep taking blue state refugees. Seal off the border immediately. For *their* protection.”

You heard Press Sec, @GovRonDeSantis. Florida is too dangerous to keep taking blue state refugees. Seal off the border immediately. For *their* protection. https://t.co/OWN5QSajL7

— Cernovich (@Cernovich) August 4, 2021

Jerry Dunleavy, reporter: “Interesting to see the Biden Admin openly going to war with DeSantis like this. Also, again – DeSantis has been recommending that people get vaccinated from the very start. There was a big invented scandal way back in **April** about DeSantis’s efforts in early **January** to get people vaccinated. He’s been on TV talking about vaccinations for many months.”

Also, again – DeSantis has been recommending that people get vaccinated from the very start. There was a big invented scandal way back in **April** about DeSantis's efforts in early **January** to get people vaccinated. He's been on TV talking about vaccinations for many months.

— Jerry Dunleavy IV 🇺🇸 (@JerryDunleavy) August 4, 2021

Emma-Jo Morris, reporter: “Roughly 1 million people have illegally entered the country since February — we don’t know who they are or where they came from, let alone their COVID status — and the Washington Post reported *yesterday* that the White House will *start* vaccinating them soon.”

Roughly 1 million people have illegally entered the country since February — we don’t know who they are or where they came from, let alone their COVID status — and the Washington Post reported *yesterday* that the White House will *start* vaccinating them soon. https://t.co/agcRD1oKCv

— Emma-Jo Morris (@EmmaJoNYC) August 4, 2021

Jesse Hunt, RGA Communications Director: “Taxpayer-funded spox is trying to distract from her boss’s failures by creating a political argument against a high profile Republican.”

https://twitter.com/JJHunt10/status/1423019501554130945

Other responses included:

https://twitter.com/ArthurSchwartz/status/1423024579207999488

Hit a nerve huh. https://t.co/IMBsjqKf2v

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) August 4, 2021

I’m sure he’ll circle back to give ya’ll another beat down. https://t.co/vgoyxnQ0lZ

— Ned Ryun (@nedryun) August 4, 2021

DeSantis has championed vaccination, especially among the most vulnerable — for which he was attacked and smeared.

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) August 4, 2021

Notice how she won’t address the border? DeSantis is right.

— Kambree (@KamVTV) August 4, 2021

At the beginning of the year, there was a "scandal" about DeSantis making the vaccine as widely available as possible, including in Publix stores. He's been doing this longer than you've been in office. https://t.co/R2AEOs0aks

— jimtreacher.substack.com (@jtLOL) August 4, 2021