You have to see this clip of DeSantis's surgeon general obfuscating about vaccines

It speaks volumes about how hopelessly backward public health messaging is in Florida.

Screengrab via Florida Senate Democrats on Twitter

The word salad Ron DeSantis recently served in response to a question about his vaccination status was so pathetic that even Trump characterized it as “gutless.” It’s a tough act to follow, but on Wednesday, DeSantis’s surgeon general somehow did his boss one better.

As legislators questioned Dr. Joseph Ladapo during his confirmation hearing, he hemmed and hawed, apparently to avoid acknowledging the effectiveness of Covid vaccine. The spectacle illustrated how hopelessly confused public health messaging has become thanks to Republicans like DeSantis, who view promoting vaccines to their constituents as a symbolic submission to the libs even while they get vaccinated themselves. The clip of the exchange would be hilarious if it weren’t for the fact that it contributes to the vaccine hesitancy that’s disproportionately killing Republicans.

Ladapo is a quack who first made national headlines last year for touting hydroxychloroquine during a July 2020 press conference with fellow crank doctors. The conference made the news after Trump promoted it on his Twitter account (RIP). Ladapo went on to author anti-vax op-eds in the Wall Street Journal before DeSantis tapped him to be Florida surgeon general last September.

Weeks into his tenure, Ladapo revealed what he’s all about: He refused to wear a mask during a meeting with a senator who was undergoing cancer treatments, and got further publicity earlier this month when he came out against widespread Covid testing.

Brian Tyler Cohen @briantylercohen

Gotta love Florida’s Surgeon General slamming the concept of testing while standing behind a podium that says “early treatment saves lives.” Can anyone venture to guess how they plan on doing early treatment... without... testing?

Ladapo’s confirmation hearing on Wednesday made clear he’s in lockstep with DeSantis, who not only refuses to comment on his personal vaccine status, but mostly avoids encouraging Floridians to get vaccinated as well, instead opting to promote less readily available monoclonal antibody treatments which are usually only prescribed to people who have contracted the disease and ineffective against the omicron variant.

Here’s a transcript of the key exchange between Ladapo and Democratic Sen. Lauren Book, followed by the video.