Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis called Dr. Anthony Fauci a "little elf" during a Wednesday speech and said that someone needs to "chuck him across the Potomac."
"I'm just sick of seeing him. I know he says he's gonna retire. Someone needs to grab that little elf and chuck him across the Potomac!," DeSantis said.
DeSantis made the comment during a Florida GOP "Keep Florida Free" event in Seminole County.
Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases as well as President Biden's chief medical adviser announced on Monday that he will be stepping down in December.
DR. ANTHONY FAUCI TO STEP DOWN IN DECEMBER
"I am announcing today that I will be stepping down from the positions of Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and Chief of the NIAID Laboratory of Immunoregulation, as well as the position of Chief Medical Advisor to President Joe Biden," Fauci said. "I will be leaving these positions in December of this year to pursue the next chapter of my career."
Fauci stressed in the statement that he is not "retiring" but rather "moving on from my current positions."
"I want to use what I have learned as NIAID Director to continue to advance science and public health and to inspire and mentor the next generation of scientific leaders as they help prepare the world to face future infectious disease threats," Fauci said.
Fox News' Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
