Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told Newsmax TV on Friday that transparency is essential to stopping the spread of the coronavirus, which he compared to the Zika outbreak his state experienced a few years ago.
Scott told “The National Report” that Democratic leaders have made fighting the coronavirus “political” when it comes to “the amount of money that the White House is asking for,” and said, “we should all come together and say, ‘how do we inform the American public? How do we keep the American public safe?’”
He praised President Donald Trump for selecting Vice President Mike Pence to lead the U.S. response to the outbreak, and said that Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is “committed to making sure they’re very transparent about any potential shortages of drugs or medical devices.”
Scott also said that he drew upon his experience as governor of Florida during the 2015-2016 Zika outbreak, saying he advised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to establish a 24/7 hotline to provide information about the coronavirus to the public.
The senator added in an interview on Fox News: “The federal government needs to be doing constant updates of what they do know, and if they don’t know something, be very clear — don’t be overconfident, but tell people exactly what’s going on. Americans are smart, they’re going to make good, informed decisions.”
“I want the federal government to put more information out. I’ve asked them to do it, I believe they’re going to do it,” he said.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.