With the surge in COVID cases as a result of the Delta variant, Americans of all ages are being hospitalized at staggering rates. One state that has been disproportionately affected by this new wave of the pandemic is Florida. Data from The Miami Herald shows that Florida is now averaging 262 COVID-related deaths daily, which comes out to almost 11 deaths per hour. Despite vaccination rates being relatively the same as other parts of the country that have not been so drastically impacted, hospitalization and deaths continue to rise. Why is the Delta variant’s impact on Florida so much more drastic compared to other states?

Many Floridians blame governor Ron Desantis’ stance on COVID mandates. Since the beginning of the pandemic in early 2020, Desantis was clear about being anti-restrictions. In the past year and a half, Desantis has only become more steadfast in his position, publicly opposing masks, vaccines, and lockdowns. Despite being vaccinated, he has refused to require vaccination for any businesses or organizations and has spread anti-vaccine rhetoric. During Trump’s presidency, he heavily backed the former president’s objection to restrictions and mandates. Now, with a potential presidential or vice-presidential campaign in his near future, Desantis has no intention of losing the support of Floridian Republicans. His supporters are usually by extension also supporters of Trump, considering they have similar political stances and have supported each other several times. With his “Make America Florida'' slogan being an obvious reference to Trump’s infamous “Make America Great Again,” Desantis plans to piggyback on Trump's right-wing populism and spread his ideology beyond the Floridian border. The governor has gotten lots of attention from both the media and the public for his policies, both positive and negative depending on what end of the political spectrum you fall on. This has also allowed him to garner lots of support and gain name recognition, both of which are crucial to climbing up the political ladder. At this rate, it's likely we will see Desantis on the ticket for the U.S. 2024 presidential race, whether it be for president or vice president. However, his rise in American politics was achieved at the expense of the hundreds of thousands of Floridians who have been affected by the pandemic as a result of adequate measures not being put in place.

Desantis was extremely resistant to the idea of a lockdown since the very beginning of COVID. Although many parts of Florida did shut down during March and April of 2020, the governor was clear about his eagerness to re-open despite the danger. He prioritized the economy of Florida over the lives of the people, and he did not make significant efforts to help hospitals and frontline workers. He made the decision to stop the lockdown and lift restrictions much earlier than other states did, causing COVID cases to soar in the following months. 

Although he may tout a pro-freedom and populist stance, there is no denying that Desantis is just another upper-class politician who benefits from saying what his constituency wants to hear and appealing to their struggles while not actually living by his own principles and not caring about the good of the people. Had he actually done his duty as governor and protected the people he is supposed to represent, the hospitals would not be inundated with thousands of patients each week and running out of necessary supplies. Desantis has also made efforts to take away unemployment benefits, even for those who can not work due to the pandemic. He has forced public schools to remove mask mandates and threatens them with reduced funding if they do not comply, despite a rise in hospitalizations of school-aged children.

The people most affected by his negligence were Black, Latino, Asian and Indigenous, many of whom were frontline workers. Lower-class whites were also heavily affected, and they were a large chunk of Desantis’ supporters. Desantis failed to protect the most at-risk people in his state for the sake of the economy, including those who put him into his position. A politician who is willing to choose the economy over the well-being of the people they represent is unfortunately too common, but it can no longer be seen as acceptable. Ron Desantis claims to care about the people who voted for him, but he hardly ever acts in their best interest. His appeal comes from the same place as Trump’s does. He has managed to portray himself as a representative of lower-to-middle class whites who would protect their core morals and values, banking on nationalism, religiousness, and desperation. Many members of this demographic suffer from addiction, unemployment, poverty, and several other issues that make them vulnerable to being used for political benefit. In reality, he has created policies that only benefit people in positions of power and big businesses. It's time for Floridians, and by extension all Americans, to vote for politicians who actually represent us and do not rely on divisive politics to draw attention to themselves and gain mass support from people who are in such need of solutions that they blindly follow harmful ideologies. Ron Desantis has found his niche in the Floridian Trump voters who need a new politician to look up to after many felt disoriented by Trump’s election loss.