Florida mother and father have expressed outrage after Governor Ron DeSantis was captured on digital camera telling masked youngsters to "cease with this COVID theater."

DeSantis, a vocal opponent of masks and vaccine mandates, admonished a gaggle of highschool college students for sporting masks earlier than delivering remarks on Wednesday at a press convention on the College of South Florida in Tampa.

After stepping on stage, DeSantis informed the scholars, from Middleton Excessive Faculty in Tampa, who have been standing behind him: "You do not need to put on these masks. I imply, please take them off. Actually, it isn't doing something and we have gotta cease with this COVID theater. So if you wish to put on it, tremendous, however that is ridiculous."

Video of the incident went viral on social media, with one clip shared by a WFLA reporter amassing greater than 10 million views on Twitter in lower than a day.

Kevin Brown Sr., whose son was among the many college students standing on stage, informed the station his message to the governor was to "cease bullying youngsters."

"His mom tells him to put on the masks," he informed WFLA. "I inform him it is his selection, so he made that selection and the governor has no proper to inform no child or nobody that they'll or cannot put on a masks. He does not have that proper."

Kevin Brown Jr., a freshman, determined to maintain his masks on. "I thought of it and it is my proper to have my masks on," he stated.

Daybreak Marshall, whose son Eric did take off his face masking, informed the station she was "very upset" about how the governor spoke to her son and the opposite college students.

"It is simply stunning that the governor informed these youngsters, 'Take off your masks,'" she stated, including that she had informed her son to put on a face masking at school. "He just about stated, 'Take off your masks, it is silly,' and 'Take off your masks, your mother and father do not matter.'"

Her son informed WFLA that he had felt "just a little" stress to take away his face masking.

DeSantis' feedback sparked blended reactions on social media.

An epidemiologist, Eric Feigl-Ding, tweeted: "Cannot imagine @GovRonDeSantis would belittle & bully youngsters to take off their masks by calling them 'ridiculous.'"

He accused the governor of being "cold-hearted," including: "Extra youngsters have died of #COVID in final 2 months than first 22 months."

Others defended DeSantis, with Fox host Laura Ingrahamtweeting: "Somebody wants to interrupt by way of the brainwashing—@GovRonDeSantis did it."

DeSantis' press secretary Christina Pushaw defended the governor on Twitter, writing in a single tweet: "I imply, somebody needed to say it, after 2 years of propaganda that terrified and manipulated younger individuals. Breathe free, really feel protected and be completely satisfied."

She additionally hit again at these accusing DeSantis of bullying and the mother and father who have been upset by his feedback.

"Why is not she sporting a masks then," Pushaw wrote in response to Daybreak Marshall's on-camera interview.

Newsweek has contacted Pushaw for added remark.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks on the Conservative Political Motion Convention in Orlando on February 24. He's a vocal opponent of vaccine and masks mandates.Joe Raedle/Getty Photographs