Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott really got underneath the skin of liberals on Tuesday after he put out another warning concerning “socialists and communists” traveling to his state, going on to say in a video posted on Twitter that such individuals are “not welcome.”
“I’m warning socialists and communists not to travel to Florida. They are not welcome in the Sunshine State,” Scott wrote on Twitter, according to Fox News. As the video continues, Scott informs both socialists and communists and anyone else who is a fan of big government they should “think twice” before coming to Florida.
“We’re the free state of Florida. We actually don’t believe in socialism, we actually know people, some people in our state lived under it and we know people that lived under socialism. It’s not good,” he went on to say. “We like freedom, liberty, capitalism, things like that.”
Podcast host and special correspondent at Vanity Fair Molly Jong-Fast went on to state on social media that she “finally found a politician who makes Ron DeSantis seem charismatic.”
Finally found a politician who makes Ron desantis seem charismatic https://t.co/nSojiNUY9K
— Molly Jong-fast (@MollyJongFast) June 27, 2023
MSNBC host, Mehdi Hasan, wisecracked that the comments by Scott were “totally normal” for the Senator. “Totally normal for a United States Senator to tell maybe millions of Americans not to visit his home state because of their political views,” he posted.
Totally normal for a United States Senator to tell maybe millions of Americans not to visit his home state because of their political views. https://t.co/Id9mh961lh
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) June 27, 2023
This is insane. It's like the right-wing playbook I describe in #Strongmen is unfolding live. With Fascism and right-wing military coups, there often was a strong far-left political & labor presence that then was repressed. Here GOP is inventing it but threat is real. https://t.co/BAvXTCbDB7
— Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@ruthbenghiat) June 27, 2023
Freaked out about the imaginary communists.
Silent about the actual Nazis and the rising Klan presence in Florida. https://t.co/xlDrEbbk4m
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) June 27, 2023
How about folks who commit Medicare fraud? Just asking…. https://t.co/rifdjRx9pJ
— Jaime Harrison (@harrisonjaime) June 27, 2023
Scott first put out the travel advisory back in May, stating in a press release that the state of Florida was “openly hostile” towards those who hold to socialist and communist ideology. “Florida is openly hostile toward Socialists, Communists, and those that enable them” and that before they consider “traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by Socialists and others who work in the Biden Administration.”
“Let me be clear – any attempts to spread the oppression and poverty that Socialism always brings will be rebuffed by the people of Florida,” Scott stated in the travel warning. “Travelers should be aware that attempts to spread Socialism in north Florida will fail and be met with laughter and mockery.”
The comments came not long after the NAACP put out a formal travel advisory of their own for the state of Florida, making the case that under the leadership of current Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis — who is currently running for president — the state has “engaged in an all-out attack on Black Americans,” along with other minorities.
“Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals,” the formal advisory on the NAACP’s website stated. “Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.”
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