White House unveils new Covid strategy, including ‘test to treat’ plan – as it happened | American News

Ron DeSantisthe governor of Florida and a serious candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, declared that France would not fight if Russia invaded, as it did in Ukraine.

“A lot of other places in the world, they fold the minute there’s any kind of adversity,” DeSantis told reporters at a press event at the University of South Florida. in Tampa on Wednesday.

“I mean, can you imagine if he [Vladimir Putin] went to France? Would they do anything to fight? Probably not.”

The Governor also started the event by angrily attacking the students on stage with him for wearing masks against Covid-19. “You don’t have to wear these masks,” DeSantis said, pointing.

“I mean, please take them off. Honestly, it doesn’t matter and we have to stop with this Covid theater. So if you want to wear it, fine, but it’s ridiculous.

Federal authorities have relaxed mask guidelines across much of the United States, but the coronavirus pandemic has killed more than 950,000 people – and more than 70,000 in Florida alone.

Any Frenchman who saw DeSantis’ remark may recall the bad jokes (“monkeys eating cheese”) and Orwellian doublespeak (frites renamed “frites de la liberté”) that followed. by Jacques Chirac refusal to support the American invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Amid much online mockery of DeSantis’ remarks, Maggie Habermana journalist from the New York Times, tweeted: “He went to Yale.”

DeSantis also went to Harvard to study law. Before entering politics, he served as a Jag or US Navy attorney in Iraq and Guantánamo Bay. He regularly ranks second in polls of potential candidates for the Republican presidential nomination, behind Donald Trump.