‘60 Minutes’ Stands By Controversial DeSantis Vaccine Story: It ‘Speaks for Itself’
CBS News is standing by its much-maligned 60 Minutes report on Florida’s vaccine rollout, which has prompted backlash from grocery chain Publix, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, conservative media, and some Democrats.
The network has largely come under fire for suggesting that there was a link between Publix’s $100,000 donation to DeSantis and Florida’s partnership with the retailer for vaccine distribution. Publix has since called this an “irresponsible suggestion” and that any connection between campaign contributions and vaccine distribution is “absolutely false and offensive.”
Besides offering no substantive evidence to support that damning claim, CBS only aired an edited portion of DeSantis’ response to one of their reporters at a press conference, resulting in the Republican governor going on a media blitz and accusing the network of “a reckless disregard for the truth.”