Ron DeSantis seems to be having a great time in his second term as governor of Florida. While the rest of us wait to hear if he’ll be running for president in 2024, DeSantis is racking up the wins and making Joe Biden look more foolish every day.
Take the issue of tennis star Novak Djokovic, for instance. The Serbian has been making headlines for the past few years, not because of his prowess on the tennis court, but because of his steadfast refusal to get the COVID vaccine. This has adversely affected his career, with various countries refusing to let him play in tournaments due to his non-vaccinated status. As RedState’s own Sister Toldjah reported last year, Djokovic wasn’t able to play in the prestigious U.S. Open because of the vaccination requirement for all foreign nationals who wish to enter the United States. And it bears repeating, this rule has remained in place despite the ample evidence that vaccination doesn’t prevent the spread of COVID.
Luckily for Novak Djokovic, he has a supporter in Governor Ron DeSantis. Djokovic has once again requested a waiver to enter the U.S. to play in this week’s BNP Paribas Open, which takes place in Indian Wells, California. And, once again, the Department of Homeland Security denied his request based solely on his unvaccinated status. This decision will also force him to miss The Miami Open, which DeSantis calls “Tennis’ Fifth Grand Slam.” For those keeping score at home, we allow hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants to stream across the southern border each year and fail to track them, their medical histories, and their criminal activity. The world’s number one men’s tennis player, however, goes through the proper channels and isn’t allowed entry. Fun stuff.
All of this nonsense prompted DeSantis to write a letter to Joe Biden requesting clarification on acceptable ways for Djokovic to gain entry into the country, including by boat. DeSantis demanded the Biden administration “put pandemic politics aside and give the American people what they want – let him play.” He noted to the president that the decision to bar Djokovic was “unfair, unscientific and unacceptable.” Also:
“It is also not clear to me why, even by the terms of your own proclamation, Mr. Djokovic could not legally enter this county via boat. Please confirm no later than Friday, March 10, 2023, that this method of travel into Florida would be permissible.”
And DeSantis wasn’t close to being done, adding, “Furthermore, even as you enacted a Proclamation on air travel that remains in force to this day, your administration pointedly allowed thousands of unvaccinated migrants to enter our country through the southern border.” Advantage, DeSantis.
One Twitter user, Phil Kerpen, had a solution at hand: a Bahamian ferry company that clearly states on its website that vaccinations aren’t necessary when entering Florida by ferry. It is unknown if Djokovic will go that route in order to play in the Miami Open. The good news for the tennis ace is that Biden has arbitrarily declared the United States COVID emergency to be over on May 11, meaning unvaccinated foreign travelers won’t need to resort to hitching rides on ferries to enter the country.
Part 1 of Ron DeSantis’ letter to Joe Biden:
Part 2 of Ron DeSantis’ letter to Joe Biden:
