Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) faced backlash late on Thursday night after she was reportedly caught in Miami Beach as New York City was decimated by a record number of coronavirus cases.
National Review reported that, according to photographs obtained by the publication, Ocasio-Cortez was “seated outside Doraku Sushi and Izakaya in Miami Beach Thursday afternoon, raising a cocktail in one hand and checking her phone in another.”
#WheresAOC? Mask free… 👀🐊 pic.twitter.com/SuDDLSScjl
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 (@ChristinaPushaw) December 31, 2021
“New York smashed its single-day COVID case record for the second straight day Thursday, reporting at least 74,207 new positives as the omicron surge stretches hospitals further,” NBC New York reported. “Meanwhile, hospitalizations continue to climb. ”
Ocasio-Cortez’s decision to hang out in the red state of Florida amid the historic number of coronavirus cases in the city that she represents comes after she repeatedly attacked Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) for briefly going to Cancun, Mexico, earlier this year as the state of Texas dealt with a storm crisis.
In one exchange with Cruz on Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez responded to Cruz by tweeting: “Ted, this is pretty rich coming from someone who fled their own home (and responsibilities) during an environmental crisis to cross the border and seek refuge in Mexico.”
“Maybe Mexico shouldn’t let YOU in the next time you try to run away from your job to sip umbrella drinks in Cancún,” she continued.
At one point in the night, “#AOCLovesDeSantis” was one of the top trends on Twitter following the late-night report from National Review.
“Welcome to Florida, AOC!” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ campaign tweeted. “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
Other notable responses to the photographs of Ocasio-Cortez spending time in Miami included:
- Stephen L. Miller, political commentator: “Could have gone to Hawaii or Puerto Rico to visit her abuela. She went to Florida. Lol.. she actually did that.”
- Christina Pushaw, press secretary for Governor Ron DeSantis: “Florida is so dangerous & scary that AOC decided to go on vacation in Miami this week. You know it’s a free state when even a Democrat can enjoy cocktails without being forced to show her papers or wear a mask.”
- Ian Miles Cheong, journalist: “AOC sipping drinks, maskless and open in the free state of Florida while New York City suffers from record high cases of COVID.”
- Rich Lowry, National Review: “Where else would a New York City socialist go to escape her city during a massive surge in covid cases but Ron DeSantis’ Florida?”
- Bryan Dean Wright, former CIA officer: “Like other communists, @AOC is a hypocrite and an all around turd.”
- Esteban Gerbasi: “Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D., N.Y) dines out at Doraku Sushi and Izakaya in Miami Beach as New York sees record surge in Covid-19 cases. A Great Hypocrite.”
- Rob Schmitt, Newsmax: “AOC is in south beach for her vacation lol. Prob not good to talk sh!% about Florida all year then vacation there…”
- Tim Murtaugh, former Trump campaign spokesman: “But we have been reliably informed that Florida is dangerous and that the governor wants to kill people.”