CNN anchor Jim Acosta suggested Saturday that scientists name new coronavirus variants that crop up in the U.S. after Republican governors who refuse to implement basic public health guidance. He singled out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who forbade schools from requiring masks this week, and Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who said he regrets signing a law that barred local jurisdictions from instituting COVID restrictions. “As the nation battles the Delta variant, states remain divided between those fighting the virus and those fighting the science. States led by politicians who know better. Case in point: Florida,” Acosta said. “People should not have to die so some politicians can own the libs. They’re not owning anybody. They may end up owning the pandemic because they’re prolonging it. Perhaps it may be time to start naming these new variants after them. Why not call it the DeSantis variant instead of the Delta variant?”
