(As originally published with bells and whistles, Tue, January 4th 2022, 12:00 PM EST)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WPEC) — Gov. Ron DeSantis says he’s not surprised to see some of his critics visit Florida for a getaway.
During his news conference about COVID-19, Monday morning at a Fort Lauderdale hospital, the governor may have alluded to one — New York City Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.).
DeSantis answered a reporter’s question with the remark,
“If I had a dollar for every locked-down politician who decided to escape to Florida over the last two years, I’d be a pretty dog-gone wealthy man, let me tell you.”
This is the backstory: Ocasio-Cortez was reportedly in Miami Beach last week and pictured dining out, without a mask, as reported by the New York Post.
It turns out, “Team DeSantis” — which is the governor’s reelection campaign Twitter account — tweeted a special welcome to her.
DeSantis went on, “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 to be able to enjoy life.’ And so I’m not surprised to see that continue to happen. I can tell you, they’re probably 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 that’s just the reality we’re dealing with. I’m happy that Florida is a place that people know they can come, and they can live like normal people and make their own decisions.”
In order to eat inside a New York City restaurant, people 12 and older have
“to show proof they have received two vaccine doses, except for those who have received the one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Starting January 29, 2022, children ages 5 to 11 must also show proof of full vaccination.”
There may be no restrictions on eating outdoors, as Ocasio-Cortez did, but Monday, the high temperature in the Big Apple wasn’t even forecast to hit the big 3-0.
The governor’s campaign tweeted out a few more posts after the news conference.
But AOC had already taken a jab at the DeSantis campaign.
The governor had faced criticism for appearing to take time off during the pandemic at the end of last year. Days ago, DeSantis said he went to his wife’s breast cancer treatment appointments.
