Asked about the report that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who represents a constituency that is struggling with a huge number of coronavirus cases, had herself been spotted at a densely crowded Florida bar going maskless, DeSantis quipped, “If I had a dollar for every lockdown politician who decided to escape to Florida over the last two years, I’d be a pretty doggone wealthy man, lemme tell ya.”
“I mean, Congresspeople, mayors, governors, I mean, you name it,” he continued. “It’s interesting, though, the reception that some of these folks will get in Florida because I think a lot of Floridians say, ‘Wait a minute. You’re bashing us because we’re not doing your draconian policies and yet we’re the first place you want to flee to, to basically be able to enjoy life.’ And so I’m not surprised to see that continue to happen. I could tell you, there are probably about a half-dozen governors who had restrictions on their people and then were spotted at various points in Florida. Some of it’s been public; some of it’s not been public, but you know, people tell me these things and so these things are spotted.”
“And so that’s just the reality that we’re dealing with,” he said. “I’m happy, though, that Florida’s a place where people know that they can come and they can live like normal people; they can make their own decisions.”
The Daily Wire reported on Monday:
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) was caught partying at a densely packed bar in Miami over the weekend without a mask as the state she represents grapples with a devastatingly high number of coronavirus cases.
“The New York congresswoman who has been in Miami since before the new year, appeared to be continuing her vacation in the Sunshine State at a packed drag bar event in the city,” The Daily Mail reported. “In a short clip posted to social media, Ocasio-Cortez could be seen waving to other bargoers to cheers and applause while being introduced on stage by the MC of the ‘drag brunch’ event.”
EXPOSED: AOC is STILL lounging it up in Florida, in large crowds and maskless. This time at a Drag Queen bar in Miami.
Rules for thee but not for me. pic.twitter.com/8l30GFA0GT
— Brendon Leslie (@BrendonLeslie) January 2, 2022
AOC was spotted partying in a bar maskless in the great free state of Florida. Absolute hypocrite pic.twitter.com/5lPEtPTnib
— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) January 2, 2022
Last Thursday, National Review published photos of Ocasio-Cortez at a table outside of the Doraku Sushi and Izakaya restaurant in Miami Beach. The Team DeSantis Twitter trolled, “Welcome to Florida, AOC! We hope you’re enjoying a taste of freedom here in the Sunshine State thanks to @RonDeSantisFL’s leadership.”
Welcome to Florida, AOC!
We hope you’re enjoying a taste of freedom here in the Sunshine State thanks to @RonDeSantisFL’s leadership. https://t.co/AU0Khspu8P
— Team DeSantis (@teamrondesantis) December 31, 2021
Ocasio-Cortez responded with an attack on DeSantis for being “inexplicably missing,” apparently unaware he was helping his wife deal with her treatment for breast cancer, as she tweeted, “Hasn’t Gov. DeSantis been inexplicably missing for like 2 weeks? If he’s around, I would be happy to say hello. His social media team seems to have been posting old photos for weeks. In the meantime, perhaps I could help with local organizing. Folks are quite receptive here.”
Hasn’t Gov. DeSantis been inexplicably missing for like 2 weeks?
If he’s around, I would be happy to say hello. His social media team seems to have been posting old photos for weeks.
In the meantime, perhaps I could help with local organizing. Folks are quite receptive here 🙂 https://t.co/LmmqT8eLDh
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 31, 2021
Asked on Monday for his response to the hysterical criticism from some, including Ocasio-Cortez, that had been leveled at him for being supposedly absent when he was in fact helping his wife with her treatment for breast cancer, DeSantis pointedly referenced President Biden’s trip last week back to his home state of Delaware, where he and his wife Jill were seen masked as they were alone on the beach, replying, “I guess I should have been at the beach in Delaware and they would have been really happy with that.”
“We actually put out the schedule, and I think these people didn’t know that. They think because you’re not doing a big press conference you’re not doing (anything),” he continued.