CNN's Jim Acosta ripped for renaming Delta variant the 'DeSantis variant': 'Performance art'

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Press plays up Biden vs. DeSantis

Over dueling sound bites on vaccines

Viewers ripped CNN's Jim Acosta this weekend for suggesting that at least one of the new variants of the coronavirus be named the "DeSantis variant," claiming Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has prolonged the pandemic for not enforcing mask mandates and other restrictive measures.

"People should not have to die so some people can own the libs," Acosta said on Saturday. "But they may end up owning the pandemic, because they're prolonging it."

Acosta declared it was time to rename the delta variant after the Florida governor.

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"Instead of the delta variant, why not call it the DeSantis variant?" Acosta asked. "We could sell beer koozies that say ‘Don’t Florida My Fauci,’ and use the money to help pay for all of the funerals in the days to come."

Reached for comment, DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw told Fox News that Acosta's attacks showed CNN was "afraid" of the governor.

"It’s clear that CNN, which apparently functions as a PR firm for the Democratic Party, is afraid of Gov. DeSantis," DeSantis spokesperson Christina Pushaw said. "Why? Because he’s leading our state through the challenges of this pandemic while respecting parents’ rights to raise their kids, workers’ rights to earn a living, and everyone’s right to make their own informed decisions." 

"DeSantis," Pushaw added, "always made data driven decisions and worked tirelessly to prioritize seniors and other vulnerable Floridians for the vaccines, instead of relying on the ever-changing, poorly sourced ‘guidance’ of federal bureaucrats." 

His leadership, she argued, is "inconvenient for CNN’s narrative of fear over facts, and that’s why CNN is attacking him."

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gestures as he speaks, Monday, June 14, 2021, at the Shul of Bal Harbour, a Jewish community center in Surfside, Fla. DeSantis visited the South Florida temple to denounce anti-Semitism and stand with Israel, while signing a bill into law that would require public schools in his state to set aside moments of silence for children to meditate or pray. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Fox News contributor Joe Concha told Fox News it was another embarrassing chapter for the CNN anchor.

"Why does Acosta spend infinitely more time talking about Trump and other Republicans than he does the current president and House speaker in power?" Concha asked. "A look at transcripts of his ‘news’ program shows he’s truly state TV serving at the pleasure of the Democratic Party in attacking Republicans while barely touching the blue team. He’s an embarrassment and nothing more." 

More critics on social media ripped Acosta for making the comparison, calling it "performance art."

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"Using CNN's ‘logic’ from last year, shouldn't the new strain be called the Biden variant?" asked writer Doug Powers, flipping the script on Acosta.

National Review's Isaac Schoor pointed out how Acosta criticized former President Trump when he called COVID-19 the "Chinese virus." 

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Acosta is one of multiple media personalities, including at CNN, to target DeSantis in recent months for his handling of the pandemic. Brianna Keilar called the governor an "a--" in January after he publicly sparred with CNN reporter Rosa Flores when she appeared to accuse him of not having a plan to cut down on long lines for seniors who needed to get vaccinated. She also asked what had "gone wrong with the rollout of the vaccine that we’ve seen phone lines jammed, websites crashing."

"So you’re going to give a speech or are you going to ask a question?" DeSantis asked her. "You asked a question and I’m going to answer it."

The White House has also singled out DeSantis, with President Biden recently suggesting that the governor had abandoned his duty after he and other states like Texas lifted mask mandates. DeSantis pushed back at the Biden administration in a press conference last week, suggesting that the president has no right to criticize him until he secures the southern border. Reports have shown that illegal immigrants who have contracted COVID are being released into border communities, in some cases without notifying local law enforcement. 

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"Why don’t you do your job?" DeSantis said. "Why don't you get this border secure? And until you do that, I don’t wanna hear a blip about COVID from you, thank you."

"This is a guy who ran for office saying he’s going to shut down the virus," he added. "And what has he done? He’s imported more virus from around the world by having a wide open southern border."

The media and leading Democrats have it out for DeSantis, some analysts have suggested, because his star is rising in the GOP.