6. 60 Minutes vs. Ron DeSantis

In April, the CBS show 60 Minutes promoted a left-wing conspiracy theory alleging Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had rewarded a grocery chain’s political contributions with an “exclusive” deal to distribute coronavirus vaccines.

It’s true Publix donated to the Friends of DeSantis political committee. But it’s also true CVS and Walgreens were given the vaccine in Florida before Publix. It’s also true that, like Publix, Walmart was similarly enlisted by the state to help distribute vaccines. CVS, Walgreens, Walmart were not mentioned anywhere in the final 60 Minutes report. Oh, also, Publix, which has donated to liberal causes, played a large role in the second phase of Florida’s vaccine distribution campaign because it was the first grocery chain that was ready to do so.

In producing the segment, CBS declined DeSantis’s offer to put them in touch with the self-described progressive director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management, who vigorously disputed the “pay-for-play” allegation. DeSantis’s people likewise attempted to facilitate an interview between CBS and David Kerner, the Democratic mayor of Palm Beach County, who likewise said the allegations are complete nonsense.