Ron DeSantis Pushes COVID Drug So His Donor Can Make Millions

Florida's Republican governor Ron DeSantis has been flying around the state promoting Regeneron as a treatment for COVID-19 rather than encouraging more people to get vaccinated. And now we know why. The Orlando Sentinel revealed that a top DeSantis donor - who gave more than $10 million to a DeSantis-supporting PAC - has invested more than $16 million in the company producing the treatment. DeSantis is rewarding his wealthy donor, and the federal government will be footing the massive bill. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins explains what's happening.

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*This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos.

As COVID cases here in the state of Florida, continue to rise. Our Republican governor, Ron DeSantis has decided to travel the state, not promoting vaccines or masks, but instead promoting the monoclonal antibody treatment Regeneron. And he is actually set up three different sites in the state for people to go and receive this Regeneron

Treatment. Now, the,

Uh, Orlando Sentinel was wondering earlier this week, why, why would they say it to us? Do this? Why is he pushing a more expensive treatment instead of vaccines? Why, why is he doing this? And, and they seem to have, uh, found the answer because the answer apparently is because Ron DeSantis, his top donor has nearly $16 million invested in Regeneron pharmaceuticals. It's a man by the name of Ken Griffin, who has donated to 10.75 million to a political action committee that supports Ron DeSantis. Meanwhile, uh, his group has $15.9 million in shares of Regeneron pharmaceutical. Now immediately after this story came out, you had, uh, Ron DeSantis, his spokesperson, Christina poo Shaw came out and said, no, this is ridiculous to think that these investments have any way influenced these decisions by the governor. But let's be honest here. There's, there's very little, uh, reason why he would do this other than to benefit his donors. You know, this isn't our first day covering politics. Christina, we know how these kinds of things work. We have seen it for decades. Now donors give people money in exchange. They get what they want happens with Republicans happens with Democrats. That's why corporate money in elections is so damaging to our country.

Furthermore, a Regeneron

Treatment comes at the cost of more than $1,000 for the federal government. Meanwhile, a vaccine costs the government 25 bucks. So instead of going out there and telling people, Hey, go get this $25 thing that the government's going to pay for. He is instead telling them, Hey folks, go get this thousand dollar treatment that also the government is going to pay for. Apparently, you know, I don't ever want to hear Republicans ever again, talking about ridiculous spending from the federal government. We literally could be spending 25 bucks a person, I guess, 50 bucks. If they got to get two shots. So 50 bucks a person, or more than 1000 per person, and guess which one Ron DeSantis picked and sure the citizens don't have to pay this money. So I guess that's great. But the federal government does, which basically does mean we're for it through our tax dollars. And Regeneron pharmaceuticals is going to get the thousand dollars per dose or per treatment, whatever it is. And we're going to go about our day. It's not going to slow the spread. It's not going to keep people out of the hospital. Regeneron is what you're given when you already have the disease.

And it hasn't even been tested all that much. But here we are.

This is what Ron DeSantis is promoting. And it's getting real hard for them to argue that he's not doing it just to benefit his number one political donor.