Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on the Republican debate stage in Milwaukee commented on the COVID-19 pandemic, criticizing former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence (R) for the national lock down.

DeSantis said that a national lockdown was "a mistake" that "should never have happened," chiding the Trump administration for listening to bureaucrats at the National Institutes of Health, including the former head of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, Anthony Fauci.

DeSantis told the audience that he would "never let the deep state ... lock you down."

Pence was not permitted by moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum to respond to DeSantis' allegations.

Trump announced that he would not participate in the debate.