The Brevard and Lee County Republican Executive Committees approved a resolution that bans the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine and labels it a biological and technological weapon.
“We would like to see Gov. DeSantis start an investigation into the COVID mRNA vaccines, take this off the shelf, have it forensic studied, and really dive deep into what's going on with this,” said Michael Thompson, chairman of the Lee County Republican Executive Committee.
Known as Ban the Jab, the resolution received a two-thirds majority vote and includes claims that the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent vaccination campaign have been manipulated and misrepresented, suggesting that it has caused thousands of adverse incidents and deaths and that there is strong and credible evidence that the vaccine alters human DNA.
“I agree that the vaccine does cause a lot of damage,” Thompson said in an interview. “I agree with the resolution overall, but I would change a few things in there. It definitely needs to be looked at and seriously considered.”
However, Thompson doesn’t expect the Republican Party of Florida to vote on and approve the resolution.
“The chairman is about supporting our elected officials and not being legislative influencers,” he said. “He looks at the world through different colored glasses than I do. I think the Republican party is the party that when people have the opportunity to run for office, they get a choice to make. They can’t sit on the fence.”
RPOF Chairman Christian Zeigler, who was elected in February, did not respond to requests for comment.
The author of the resolution is Dr. Joe Sansone, a psychotherapist, and member of the Lee County Republican Executive Committee.
“He’s a far-right guy,” Thompson told the Florida Record. “I didn’t vote because I’m the chair. The only time I ever vote on anything is to force a tie or break a tie. If I did have a vote, I would have probably made a motion to tone down some of the language in it but I agree with it overall.”
As previously reported, GOP chapters in Seminole, Lake, St. John’s, Santa Rosa, and Hillsborough have approved similar resolutions.
The committees are soliciting support from registered county Republicans, state lawmakers, and Florida’s Congressional delegation.
“The benefit is sending a message to the governor that it's sweeping through the state,” Thompson added. “The unfortunate part is it'll take years for that to come to fruition if it even comes to fruition.”