Gov. Ron DeSantis’ press secretary Christine Pushaw nailed Atlantic writer Derek Thompson for smearing Florida conservatives who are standing up against vaccine mandates while ostensibly giving Democrats a pass for refusing Republican-promoted treatments.
“I wrote about a very American paradox: Among developed nations, the US has perhaps the highest reluctance to accept mRNA vaccines that we did more than any country to invent, produce, and distribute,” Thompson originally tweeted.
In his article, “How America Dropped to No. 36” Thompson wrote, “The U.S. is distinctly unlucky in having a polarized two-party system, in which one party’s elites take up vaccine resistance as a prominent cause. While GOP governors and even former President Donald Trump have admitted to being vaccinated and occasionally recommended the shots, the party’s most significant media organs, including Fox News, have consistently questioned the benefits of the vaccines, amplified the side effects, celebrated evidence-free skepticism, and blasted attempts to promote vaccinations.”
“Today, Florida Republicans aren’t just claiming that the vaccines are faulty. They’re reportedly looking to rescind measles- and mumps-vaccine requirements. Negative polarization has fully overtaken the right wing of the Republican Party, whose ethos is now something like ‘Whatever liberals say, I’m against’ and whose members stand ready to embrace the most absurd conclusions of that logic,” he posited.
Pushaw pushed back against his assertions, tweeting, “Couldn’t you say the same thing about Democrats who reflexively oppose COVID treatment because a Republican promoted it? For example, a month ago Democrats and the media were falsely claiming that Regeneron is a scam to enrich a GOP donor.”
Couldn’t you say the same thing about Democrats who reflexively oppose COVID treatment because a Republican promoted it? For example, a month ago Democrats and the media were falsely claiming that Regeneron is a scam to enrich a GOP donor.
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) September 26, 2021
Thompson justified his stance and responded acidly to Pushaw, “yes I would and I said so weeks ago. but I also said and still think that vaccine resistance and vaccine lies are more consequential that mocking ivermectin with falsehoods, even tho both are wrong.”
yes I would and I said so weeks ago. but I also said and still think that vaccine resistance and vaccine lies are more consequential that mocking ivermectin with falsehoods, even tho both are wrong
— Derek Thompson (@DKThomp) September 26, 2021
Pushaw hit back with logic and statistics to prove her point. She bluntly asked him why he was singling out Florida in his attack:
Why single out Florida then?
Vaccination rates per CDC:
Hawaii 57.4%
Pennsylvania 57.4%
Delaware 57.3%
🔴FLORIDA 56.6%🔴
Wisconsin 56%
Illinois 53.1%
Michigan 52%
Kentucky 51.6%
Kansas 50.6%
Nevada 50.3%
North Carolina 49.2%
Louisiana 44.9%— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) September 26, 2021
At that point in the back and forth, Thompson stopped answering Pushaw and started deleting tweets. Specifically, the one where he was smearing Florida.
Christina, scroll up. He deleted the tweet where he stated his piece was specifically aimed at Florida Republicans. pic.twitter.com/CPB3Fwiffn
— Mr. Minarchy (@FloridaMinarchy) September 26, 2021
Pushaw responded, “Lol, yikes. Hope he deletes the article too.”
Lol, yikes. Hope he deletes the article too.
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) September 26, 2021
That didn’t happen. Thompson not only stopped answering Pushaw after she provided statistics poking holes in his argument… he blocked her on Twitter as well.
The back and forth on Twitter continued however with others chiming in and the press secretary responding:
The key word here is “ethical”
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) September 26, 2021
Why are you attacking a “journalist” again, Christina???
— Fortified Verdad (@TheVerdadnow) September 26, 2021
Attacking by stating facts LOL
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) September 26, 2021
Seconded. And I don’t understand why he blocked me for pointing out the shortcomings in his argument. This seems to be an admission that he doesn’t actually have the facts to support his narrative. pic.twitter.com/l1kIIHlWbM
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) September 26, 2021
Many on social media are not buying Thompson’s weak arguments and his blaming of conservative states such as Florida for alleged dropping vaccine rates. Instead, they blame President Biden, the media, Big Tech, Big Pharma, and the government for the distrust:
Very hot take.
I am not convinced that the actions of governments around the world have saved more lives than they destroyed over the last 18 months…
It’s feasible that them doing absolutely nothing would have led to a similar or better overall result – all things considered.
— ZUBY: New Album Out Now (@ZubyMusic) September 27, 2021
If ‘vaccine mandates’ do not recognize natural immunity, do not recognize antibody testing, do not offer test-outs, and do not acknowledge that vaccines *do not* stop the spread, then it is absolutely clear they have *nothing* to do with health or science.
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) September 26, 2021
Affluent professionals used frontline and essential workers as human shields for months. Now the laptop class is demanding that all unvaccinated workers be fired – even those with natural immunity. “The Science” is always just an excuse to exploit, shame, and punish other people.
— alex g (@galexybrane) September 27, 2021
I mean, America has a pretty long history of it’s government doing medical experiments on the people within it’s borders. It shouldn’t be a surprise that we have less trust in the government than other places.
— AJ Olding (@AndrewOlding) September 26, 2021
CDC/HHS have violated almost every rule as it relates to risk communications from day one and we wonder why there is so much vaccine hesitancy? https://t.co/F8fZGARhG6
— InTheShadows (@Debtors_Cartel) September 27, 2021
Or maybe, in a country where we have some semblance of freedom left, we refuse to allow govt,big tech, & big pharma force us to take an experimental “vaccine” that has been denounced by the architect of the mRNA vaccine platform.
— JerryD (fiveonly) (@sola5reformed) September 26, 2021
Just blatantly lied too. I’m vaccinated but it’s not hard to see why ppl don’t want it.?
— G0 Fuckyourself (@FuckyourselfG0) September 26, 2021
When you find yourself deleting your own tweets in a thread? It might be best to just delete the entire post. We are over “journalists” tossing Florida into the mix for clicks with no factual backing.
— Noyb (@Noyb2021) September 26, 2021
You have to delete tweets whe you get asked a second grade level question on your logic? This is why people can’t trust what they read anymore.
— jneas (@jneas) September 26, 2021
When you are a pseudo journalist and propaganda hack for the regime, have no facts, throw your tantrum, and write your fake news. Facts don’t care about your feelings. Those pesky facts get you every time. You are the virus. pic.twitter.com/qNut2TvhGh
— East LA Latina 🇺🇸🇲🇽 💃🏻Big Tech sucks (@apmduenas) September 26, 2021
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