Media Struggles to Explain Why DeSantis is the Villain: Delivering Vaccines or Threatening to Withhold Them

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Several media outlets accused Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Wednesday of threatening to “withhold” Covid-19 vaccines from a private community — after officials and at least some in the media suggested that he do so, arguing the community is too affluent and “white.”

The ordeal developed after DeSantis offer to help the developer of Lakewood Ranch set up a vaccination site to serve residents of two zip codes in southwest Florida’s Manatee County. Officials including County Commissioner Misty Servia criticized the decision, telling the Bradenton Herald, “You’re taking the whitest demographic, the richest demographic in Manatee County and putting them before everyone else.”

Some publications took the opportunity to highlight claims that some were dismayed by the move. “Vaccine clinic in ‘whitest and richest’ Lakewood Ranch sets off fury in Manatee County,” Tampa Bay’s Fox 13 reported in the headline of a Feb. 16 story.

“DeSantis criticized for giving special vaccine access to wealthy neighborhoods like Lakewood Ranch,” Tampa’s WFLA said in its own Feb. 17 headline.

More charitably, Sarasota’s ABC 7 wrote in a headline on the same day, “DeSantis denies vaccine site selection favors affluent neighborhoods.”

DeSantis responded to the objections at a Wednesday press conference, telling reporters, “If Manatee County doesn’t like us doing this, we are totally fine with putting this in counties that want it. We’re totally happy to do that. … But I think most people — we have an opportunity to bring vaccine and do it efficiently — I think they’re going to want it.”

“If there’s going to be folks that are going to complain about getting more vaccines, you know, I’ll tell you what,” he added. “I wouldn’t be complaining. I’d be thankful that we’re able to do it because, you know what, we didn’t need to do this at all.”

Several publications — including national news outlets — pounced on the exchange.

Jacksonville’s News 4 suggested that “residents” were upset with the decision, though failed to name any beyond elected officials. “DeSantis threatens to pull vaccines from Manatee County after residents question site placement,” the publication said in its headline.

“Gov. DeSantis threatens to pull coronavirus vaccine from communities that criticize distribution,” Florida’s Sun Sentinel said in the headline of its story on the issue, incorrectly suggesting the exchange applied to more than one community.

The Hill in Washington, D.C. ran with the error in a nearly identical headline, telling readers, “DeSantis threatens to divert vaccines from communities criticizing distribution.”

Forbes also published the story, headlined, “Ron DeSantis Threatens To Pull Vaccines From Florida Counties That Criticize Distribution.”

Florida’s handling of Covid-19 has been a topic of intrigue from the beginning of the pandemic, but particularly in periods when states that took a more heavy-handed approach appear to be faring worse, including this week. Senior White House coronavirus adviser Andy Slavitt struggled during an interview with MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle early on Wednesday to explain why Florida was experiencing less of a problem with the pandemic than California, despite taking fewer measures to combat it. And in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has been battling an allegation that he threatened a Democratic lawmaker over claims that he sought to cover up nursing home deaths linked to the coronavirus.