CBS Issues Counterargument for '60 Minutes' Cut of DeSantis' COVID Vaccine Quotes

Charisma News Update: Since the time of this story’s original posting, there have been new developments. Charisma News staff have been tracking the progress and provide an update here.

After Democrats came to the defense of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over his misquoted responses taken out of context in a CBS 60 Minutes story, the longstanding news source has responded to the incident, upholding their claims that DeSantis’ answer was represented factually, and offers their own refute to his claims.

“I had one point — the complete failure by the governor to recognize that a decision to strictly utilize Publix would have a detrimental impact on Florida’s rural communities,” Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay said in the statement.

“Governor DeSantis’ comments about this piece do not acknowledge that his senior constituents in the Glades did not have easy access to a Publix for the vaccine. The Glades is an underserved portion of Palm Beach County with a population of 31,000 that was the focus of the 60 Minutes report,” the statement read.

In extended remarks at the press conference, DeSantis explained why Publix was used, but CBS didn’t air it.

While CBS may have spoken with Palm Beach County Mayor Dave Kerner on the record regarding the vaccination distribution, he refuted CBS correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi’s claims, saying the network should be ashamed.

Palm Beach County (Democratic) Mayor Dave Kerner: “I watched the 60 Minutes segment on Palm Beach County last night and feel compelled to issue this statement. The report was not just based on bad information — it was intentionally false.” https://t.co/pscThUQ4r5 pic.twitter.com/28LC23x7UC

— Jerry Dunleavy (@JerryDunleavy) April 5, 2021

He continued, “I am proud of how our county and state leadership have executed on this important mission, and the results speak for themselves.”

To conclude its report, CBS cites prior concerns made by Florida public officials regarding ramifications of donations made to DeSantis’ political campaign:

“State Agricultural Commissioner Nikki Fried said it was ‘political favoritism’ and ‘public corruption.’ And state representative Omari Hardy said, ‘It doesn’t look good. It doesn’t pass the smell test.'”

Here is the original story from Charisma News:

Some top Florida Democrats are calling the recent CBS 60 Minutes story on Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis “malarkey” and “intentionally false.”

60 Minutes alleged in their report Sunday that DeSantis chose Publix supermarket pharmacies for the state’s rollout of vaccine distribution because of the company’s previous contributions to his campaign. The story also alleged that the rollout was slower to minority communities in Palm Beach County because a Publix supermarket was not located nearby. The state addressed that concern by setting up drive-thru vaccine sites in those areas, as it had done in other parts of Florida.

According to The Daily Caller, Democrat Jared Moskowitz, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, called the theory of a “pay to play” deal by DeSantis “utter nonsense,” saying the suggestion to choose Publix came from his office.

“We reached out to all pharmacies and they were the only one who at the time could execute on the mission. The federal government delayed the federal pharmacy program and we yet again stepped up first to serve more seniors,” Moskowitz tweeted.

In a later tweet, Moskowitz reiterated his previous tweet, writing that Publix “was recommended by” the Florida Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Department of Health because “the other pharmacies were not ready to start.”

“Period! Full stop! No one from the Governor’s office suggested Publix. It’s just absolute malarkey,” according to Moskowitz.

Read the rest of the story from our content partners at CBN News here.

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