Before a press conference Wednesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told a group of high school students that they did not need to wear their masks.
While addressing cybersecurity issues at the University of South Florida in Tampa, DeSantis told the students “you do not have to wear those masks”.
“I mean, please take them off. Honestly, it’s not doing anything,” he said to the Middleton High School students.
“We’ve gotta stop with this Covid theater. So if you wanna wear it, fine, but this is ridiculous,” he continued.
Most of the students behind the podium removed their masks after being given the choice to do so.
DeSantis’s press secretary, Christina Pushaw, said in a statement, “After two years of mixed messages from health authorities and the media, the governor wants to make sure everyone is aware of the facts and data now, so they can feel free and comfortable without a mask”.
Despite DeSantis giving the students a choice to take their masks off, many Twitter users claim he “bullied” them into it.
Candidate for Florida State Senate Mike Harvey tweeted “Ron DeSantis wants to bully high school students. Floridians will remember this at the polls”.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said “You can judge someone’s character by how they treat waiters. And high school students. Shame on @GovRonDeSantis”.