With anxious parents around the state of Florida debating whether or not to send their children back to school in the next few weeks, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) shared a metaphor which is unlikely to provide much reassurance.
Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, the Florida governor relayed comments made to him by Martin County Superintendent Laurie Gaylord.
“She viewed reopening her schools as a mission akin to a Navy SEAL operation,” DeSantis said. “Just as the SEALs surmounted obstacles to bring Osama bin Laden to justice, so too would the Martin County School system find a way to provide parents with a meaningful choice of in-person instruction or continued distance learning.”
The remark drew heavy criticism and mockery:
The governor’s school reopen push comes as the state continues to be hard hit by the coronavirus. While case numbers have decreased by a third from their peak two weeks ago, the state is still averaging nearly 7,000 positives per day — according to data compiled by The New York Times. Nonetheless, DeSantis has been firm in his stance on reopening — threatening to withhold funds from districts which do not offer in-person learning.
Watch above, via WJAX.