Protesters greeted Gov. Ron DeSantis upon his arrival at an event Wednesday afternoon in The Villages.

DeSantis and his wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis, answered questions at a town hall meeting at the Brownwood Hotel & Spa. While it was a friendly, ticket-only crowd inside, the same wasn’t true outside the venue.

Protesters greeted Gov. Ron DeSantis upon his arrival Wednesday afternoon at the Brownwood Hotel Spa
Protesters greeted Gov. Ron DeSantis upon his arrival Wednesday afternoon at the Brownwood Hotel & Spa.

Sharon Sandler of the Village of Buttonwood stood out in the rain holding a sign near the Atwood Bungalows across from the high-rise Brownwood hotel.

“He’s a disaster. The whole thing is a disaster,” said Sandler.

Villager Sharon Sandler left holds a sign during Wednesdays protest
Villager Sharon Sandler, left, holds a sign during Wednesday’s protest.

She said the governor has completely bungled the COVID-19 response in the Sunshine State, making Florida one of the hottest pandemic hot spots in the nation.

“Just look at what is happening. Our hospitals are full. People are dying,” she said.

Florida has recorded 3.25 million COVID-19 cases and 44,561 deaths since the pandemic began.