Ron DeSantis isn't just anti-mandate. He's anti-vax.


Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to pay anti-vaccination cops to take jobs in his state. The Florida Republican said Sunday he hopes to sign legislation that will offer $5,000 bonuses to out-of-state police officers who lost their positions because they wouldn't comply with vaccine mandates.
"We're actually actively working to recruit out-of-state law enforcement, because we do have needs in our police and our sheriff's departments," DeSantis said on Fox News. "NYPD, Minneapolis, Seattle, if you're not being treated well, we'll treat you better here, you can fill important needs for us, and we'll compensate you as a result."
This is new territory for DeSantis, who has tried to maintain a tricky balance.with COVID-19 vaccines for most of 2021. On one hand, he has urged his state's residents to get the jab. "These vaccines are saving lives. They are reducing mortality," the governor said in July. But he has also been aggressively anti-mandate, taking action to keep local schools and businesses from requiring masks or vaccines as a condition of employment or service.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Now that balance is gone. It's one thing to forbid vaccine requirements in the name of freedom. It's another thing entirely to incentivize anti-vax sentiments by offering cash bonuses and employment to public servants who defied the rules of their home jurisdictions. DeSantis' proposal might be a political winner with his GOP base, but it's obviously dangerous: COVID is already the leading cause of death among police officers. Essentially rewarding officers for refusing vaccination won't help.
The police proposal isn't the only bad pandemic policy choice DeSantis has made lately. His pick to be the state's new surgeon general, Joseph Lapado, has spread misinformation about vaccine safety, including with DeSantis at his side. Lapado recently refused to mask up for a meeting with an immunocompromised state legislator. This is the man DeSantis wants to run the Florida Department of Health.
Theoretically, it should be possible (though not optimal) to be both pro-vaccine and anti-mandate. Yet in real life — and certainly in Florida — it doesn't seem to work out that way, especially for politicians trying to pander. For months now, whatever his rhetoric, DeSantis has been functionally anti-vax. These two choices only make it more explicit.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Joel Mathis is a writer with 30 years of newspaper and online journalism experience. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic and The Kansas City Star. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.
-
Sowaka: a fusion of old and new in Kyoto
The Week Recommends Japanese tradition and modern hospitality mesh perfectly at this restored ryokan
-
Scientists have identified 4 distinct autism subtypes
Under the radar They could lead to more accurate diagnosis and care
-
Crossword: July 21, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Gavin Newsom mulls California redistricting to counter Texas gerrymandering
TALKING POINTS A controversial plan has become a major flashpoint among Democrats struggling for traction in the Trump era
-
The Supreme Court and Congress have Planned Parenthood in their crosshairs
Talking Points Trump's budget bill and the court's ruling threaten abortion access
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
How Zohran Mamdani's NYC mayoral run will change the Democratic Party
Talking Points The candidate poses a challenge to the party's 'dinosaur wing'
-
Is Trump's military parade 'just a parade'?
Talking Point Critics see an 'echo of authoritarianism'
-
Is Trump's LA troop deployment about order or authoritarianism?
Talking Points President: 'We're going to have troops everywhere.'
-
Is Trump trying to take over Congress?
Talking Points Separation of powers at stake in Library of Congress fight
-
The anger fueling the Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez barnstorming tour
Talking Points The duo is drawing big anti-Trump crowds in red states