‘Face of Controversy’: NBC Trashes DeSantis on Masks

NBC will air Thursday Night Football for the second consecutive night. Nightly News spent valuable air time trashing Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis for telling a group of high school students at a public event that they don’t have to wear masks. 

Anchor Lester Holt opened the preposterous segment claiming that there was “outrage tonight from that scolding by Florida’s Governor to a group of students because they wore masks.”

Correspondent Miguel Almaguer reported that there was “more fallout” from yesterday’s incident where Governor DeSantis “admonished” the high school students. Even though DeSantis didn’t admonish the students. Almaguer added that this further highlights the “bitter divide over face masks.”  

The Governor’s comments were so distressing to NBC that Almaguer tracked down the mother of one of the students from the DeSantis event for an interview.

Dawn Marshall, the mother of Florida high school student Eric Marshall told Almaguer that she was “really appalled” and “almost jumped out of [her] skin” when she heard DeSantis telling her son that it was ok to take off his mask.  

Almaguer noted that Marshall is “immunocompromised”, and was “furious by what the Governor said.” Marshall then kvetched that: “He took away my authority. He placed my child in danger. He put me at risk because my child comes home to me.” 

Senior national correspondent Kate Snow interviewed Rochelle Walensky, Centers for Disease Control director to show how serious NBC takes this scandal. 

Walensky arrogantly told the students that they “should have been comfortable wearing a mask.” Adding that wearing a mask “is absolutely their choice.” Which is exactly what DeSantis told the students: 

These masks don’t have to be on your face. You can take the masks off. It’s really not doing any good, so we have to end this COVID theatre. You can wear it if that’s what you prefer, but otherwise, this is insane.

While wrapping up the segment, Almaguer smugly claimed that “while he [DeSantis] won’t wear a mask, tonight he is the face of controversy.” 

This is now the third straight news cycle of NBC News obsessing over DeSantis’s comment. On Wednesday night, the first came from the Today Show. The second came on Thursday morning. This shows how deeply afraid they are of Ron DeSantis’s possible presidential run in 2024.

Ron DeSantis was the latest victim of a smear campaign by NBC. Liberty Mutual Fidelity. The information of both is linked. 

To read the relevant transcript click “expand”:

NBC Nightly News
3/2/2022
Eastern, 7:17:47 

LESTER HOLT – Outrage at the Florida Governor’s harsh treatment of students who wore masks calling it political theater. This incident upset parents, and highlighted the intense debate about masks. Miguel Almaguer. 

GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS – You don’t have to wear these masks. You can take the masks off.

MIGUEL ALMAUGER: There is more to the fallout from Wednesday’s warning by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to a number of high school students.

DESANTIS 

ALMAGUER – Continuing to highlight the bitter division over facial masks. 

DESANTIS – You may wear it if you like, but that’s ridiculous.  

ALMAGUER – And what do they mean? 

DESANTIS: [sighs]

ALMAGUER – Eric Marshall was among those students. 

DAWN MARSHALL: It was almost like I had jumped from my skin. It was shocking. 

ALMAGUER: His mother, Dawn who’s immunocompromised, was furious by what the Governor said. 

MARSHALL : He took my authority away. He placed my child in danger. Because my child is coming home, he put me at danger. 

ERIC MARSHALL : It was not something I had prepared for. For me, it seemed like a quick photo-op. 

ALMAGUER : Despite the fact that mask mandates have been repealed in the vast majority of the US, the CDC advises still wearing masks indoors where COVID levels exceed a certain level. This was Tampa where the conference took place. Today Kate Snow talked with Rochelle Walensky, Director at CDC.

ROCHELLE WALENSKY They can choose to wear a mask. 

ALMAGUER. Governor DeSantis called masks “political theater” today. He defended his remarks and highlighted the issue in a letter to fundraisers. Even though he doesn’t plan to wear a mask, he’s the subject of much controversy tonight. Miguel Almaguer is NBC News.