Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) administration is hitting back after White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters it is “greatly concerning” that the Florida governor refuses to force children to wear masks in schools, asserting that those who are advocating to do so are simply “not following the science.”

On Thursday, Psaki told reporters she would be very concerned if she were a parent of a child in Florida, given DeSantis’s unyielding position to prioritize individual liberty and personal choice in regards to the Chinese coronavirus pandemic and, specifically, in relation to masking children in school. On Thursday, DeSantis affirmed his refusal to implement coercive government mandates on children and parents ahead of the school year. Psaki said:

If I were a parent in Florida, that would be greatly concerning to me because kids under the age of 12 are not vaccinated. They’re not eligible yet. As the president said last night, obviously it’s going to be led by the FDA, but certainly, we hope that will be soon.