President Donald Trump on Friday evening pushed back on Florida’s plan to eliminate all vaccine mandates, including school requirements.

Trump said Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo’s plan was a “tough stance” and emphasized that some vaccines are “not controversial” and should generally be taken to protect children.

“I think we have to be very careful,” he told the press from the Oval Office. “You have some vaccines that are so amazing: the polio vaccine, I happen to think is amazing. A lot of people think that COVID [vaccine] is amazing. You know, there are many people that believe strongly in that.”

“You have some vaccines that are so incredible, and I think you have to be very careful when you say that some people don’t have to be vaccinated,” the president reiterated. “It’s a very tough position.”

“Initially, I heard about it yesterday,” Trump said of the Florida vaccine initiative. “And it’s a tough stance. You have vaccines that work — just pure and simple, they work, they’re not controversial at all. And I think those vaccines should be used, otherwise some people are going to catch it and they endanger other people. And when you don’t have controversy at all, I think people should take it.”

WATCH:

🚨 BREAKING: President Trump pushes back on Florida removing all vaccine mandates, including for schoolchildren. He says some vaccines are a must.

“I think we have to be careful. You have some vaccines that are so amazing. The Polio vaccine I think is amazing. A lot of people… pic.twitter.com/PsTGMIBaWl

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 5, 2025

Dr. Ladapo, alongside Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, announced on Wednesday that the Sunshine State will end all vaccination mandates, including requirements for schools.

“The Florida Department of Health, in partnership with the government, is working to end all vaccine mandates in Florida law — all of them,” Ladapo said. “Every last one of them.”

Ladapo said the government has no right to tell parents what to put in their children’s bodies, or their own bodies.

“Every last [mandate] is wrong and drips with disdain — and slavery,” he argued. “Who am I, or anyone else … to tell you what you should put in your body? Who am I to tell you what your child should put in [their] body?”

“I don’t have that right,” he continued. “Your body is a gift from God. What you put into your body is because of your relationship with your body and your God. I don’t have that right. Government does not have that right.”

🚨 MAJOR BREAKING: The Surgeon General of Florida just announced ALL VACCINE MANDATES IN FLORIDA will be ENDED, and the room erupted.

All. Not just COVID. ALL.

JOSEPH LADAPO: “Every last one is wrong and DRIPS with disdain and slavery! Who am I, or anyone else, to tell YOU what… pic.twitter.com/Kah5LscGTo

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 3, 2025

Ending vaccine requirements for schoolchildren would be a seismic change — every state in the nation currently has school vaccine requirements. Additionally, liberal states have increasingly nixed religious exemptions for families looking to opt their children out of some requirements.

Gov. DeSantis on Friday seemed to reiterate his support for the plan. During remarks at the second annual State Freedom Caucus Summit, the governor boosted the right to medical freedom and said he didn’t believe the government should coerce people into certain treatment, The Daily Wire reported.

Gov. DeSantis has led the charge on the issue of medical freedom in the wake of aggressive COVID policies. In 2023, for example, he signed a set of medical freedom measures into law, which banned mask and vaccine mandates and added new conscience protections for health care providers.

Related: First In The Nation: Florida To End All Vaccine Mandates

The passing of Native American actor Graham Greene reminded us of the Oscar-winning 1990 film “Dances with Wolves.” The film cast Greene as Kicking Bird, and his screen time with director and star Kevin Costner set the table for the drama.

The film remains beloved for its portrait of the American West, many warts and all. It’s also emblematic of Costner’s career, one dedicated to the great outdoors in the grand American tradition.

Few actors have clung to that mythos like Costner, from his directorial breakthrough with “Dances with Wolves” to his most recent venture, the “Horizon” saga. Along the way, Costner has explored the American wilderness on screens large and small, creating a genuine affection for his country in the process.

Kevin Costner in “Dances with Wolves” 1990. Tig Productions. Majestic Films International. Allied Filmmakers. Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images copyright 2012. IMDB.

He didn’t sugarcoat the land’s flaws then, and he refused to do so in subsequent projects. America’s natural beauty and potential proved his constant companion.

It explains why he endures as more than just a movie star at the age of 70. He’s part of the cultural fabric. And, even when he’s taking political stances that anger a good half of the country, his treasure trove of goodwill barely takes a hit.

Costner famously got left on the editing room floor in 1983’s“The Big Chill,” even though his character’s fate powered the nostalgia-laced drama. Director Lawrence Kasdan made amends to the young actor by casting him in the ensemble western “Silverado.”

CIRCA 1985: Actors Kevin Costner, Scott Glenn, Kevin Kline and Danny Glover on set the movie “Silverado” circa 1985. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

From there, Costner landed “The Untouchables” (1987), “Bull Durham” (1988), and “Field of Dreams” (1989), a run of hits few actors could match, then or now. That gave him the clout to start shaping his career on his terms. And that led to “Dances with Wolves.”

The film may appear “woke” in retrospect, showcasing a guilt-ridden white man coming to terms with his country’s cruelty to Native Americans. Costner grounded the Western epic with respect for all its elements – from historical realities to the harsh truths about frontier life. 

Such messaging is often found in movies with what YouTube film and TV critic, The Critical Drinker, famously calls “The Message.” Costner, however, refused to lecture without context or push an agenda without exploring that time and place from all angles.

“Dances with Wolves” brought the nation’s complicated history to life, not with finger-wagging asides but a three-dimensional portrait that couldn’t be denied.

And, in the process, he forged a connection with American storytelling that became his unofficial identity. Costner has worked constantly since that film’s release, and his career has hit the usual bumps along the way.

He returned to the American West repeatedly over the years, from the unsung 2003 western “Open Range” to 1994’s “Wyatt Earp.” The latter got overshadowed by “Tombstone,” released a year earlier and featuring an iconic turn from Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday.

And, when his career appeared to be on the downside, Costner teamed with rising TV producer Taylor Sheridan to anchor “Yellowstone.” The Paramount series wasn’t set in the 1800s, but its Montana backdrop and timeless themes connected to the stories Costner knows best.

How many modern shows reflect the natural beauty of a state like Montana? For Costner and Sheridan, it just felt like home.

At a time when even “hit” TV shows draw a fraction of the audience of prior smashes, “Yellowstone” drew huge ratings. The show’s 2024 finale drew north of 13 million viewers.