Casey DeSantis Slaps Back After Newsom Lies About Gov. DeSantis ‘Bullying’ the Special Olympics

Florida’s first lady Casey DeSantis on Monday clapped back after California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) accused the DeSantis administration of “bullying” the Special Olympics.

“For those who need a reminder… this is why we fight. Isabella competed in the Special Olympics because @RonDeSantisFL stood up and fought for her and all the other Special Olympians who would have been sidelined. We will never stop fighting for people like Isabella,” Casey DeSantis said on Monday alongside a video:

For those who need a reminder… this is why we fight.

Isabella competed in the Special Olympics because @RonDeSantisFL stood up and fought for her and all the other Special Olympians who would have been sidelined.

We will never stop fighting for people like Isabella. pic.twitter.com/NARnZdSvaU

— Casey DeSantis (@CaseyDeSantis) July 18, 2022

Her reminder serves as a likely clap back to Newsom, who accused the DeSantis administration of “bullying” the Special Olympics, which was held in Orlando, Florida:

Ron DeSantis’ values on full display: Bullying. The. Special. Olympics. https://t.co/jZcog2gRyn

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 3, 2022

Despite Newsom’s misleading narrative, the DeSantis administration fought against the Special Olympics’ coronavirus mandates, which put athletes in a difficult position and would have prevented some from even competing. Beyond that, it pressured some to get the shot, even against their personal conscience.

“They imposed on the athletes a COVID vaccine mandate. … If you did not submit and you did not get the COVID vax, you would be denied the ability to compete in the Special Olympics,” DeSantis said last month, telling the story of one competitor who sought a medical exemption but was denied, leading to disaster:

So for example, there was a family from Kansas. They went to six different doctors to plead for a medical exemption for their son that had Down syndrome, wanted the exemption from the vax, wanted to be able to compete. They were told to just get the first dose and if he experiences any side effects, then the medical exemption will then be offered. Well, the son with Down syndrome did do that under pressure, had a seizure, was rushed to the hospital after his first dose. And so then he was granted the exemption after having to go through that, which was so unnecessary, and it was just something that was totally ridiculous. And so you’re seeing that over and over where these people are gonna have to make these decisions and it’s not necessarily some of it’s just personal choice, which is fine by me, but some of it you actually have advised against doing this. And a lot of these special olympians have also had COVID by now because I mean, most people have had it by now. And so to impose that mandate now in June of 2022, you know, it didn’t make sense.

The administration ultimately threatened to bury the Special Olympics with $27.5 million in fines if it left the mandate in place, and as a result, the organization announced on June 2 that it would lift the requirement.

“Delegates who were registered for the Games but were unable to participate due to the prior vaccine requirement, now have the option to attend,” the Special Olympics said in a statement at the time:

Florida said the vaccine rule conflicted with state law, and disqualified Special Olympics athletes from competing based on their vaccine status.

State said they heard from athletes and families of athletes who complained.

Here’s the letter the state sent. 2/3 pic.twitter.com/NgpHsQwve4

— Jay O'Brien (@jayobtv) June 3, 2022

“This was important that we engaged in this. I wish it did not have to come to this. I wish this had been resolved earlier, but I do think that this is something that’s very, very important,” DeSantis said upon the Special Olympics reversing the decision, calling the original mandate “totally wrong.”