Janelle Irwin Taylor
Mayor Rick Kriseman’s tweet Monday night “banning” Donald Trump from St. Pete has drawn national attention. It’s been reported by local news outlets across the state and country and even CNN.
The tweet has been “liked” and shared thousands of times.
The Tampa Bay Times documented reaction to Kriseman’s anti-Trump tweet as the city’s latest tourism draw quoting several comments from out-of-towners that St. Pete is now on their list of vacation destinations.
Some even commented they’d consider a permanent move.
Some St. Pete City Council members are quite proud of their Mayor as well.
“Make no mistake; Trump’s statement against Muslims was morally reprehensible. Both sides called candidate Trump out and rightly so,” said City Council member Darden Rice. “Rep. Jolly called for Donald Trump to exit the race. Mayor Kriseman used satire. Humor can be a great way to get a point across, so good for the Mayor to use it effectively and for noble reasons.”
Kriseman’s viral tweet was intended to combat “ridiculousness with ridiculousness.” It was in response to a news release from Trump’s campaign asserting all Muslims should be banned from entering the U.S.
The Mayor’s spokesman, Ben Kirby, called the comment “hateful and xenophobic.”
While the Mayor can’t actually ban Trump from coming to St. Pete, his tongue-in-cheek tweet stands as a referendum on Trump’s continually bombastic and inflammatory tone toward Muslims. Previously, the Republican presidential hopeful suggested that a Muslim database and special IDs for Muslims might be a good idea.
St. Pete City Council member Steve Kornell said he doesn’t believe in banning anyone, but recognized Kriseman’s statement as one of comedic commentary.
“The opinions [Trump has] expressed don’t belong on the front page of the Tampa Bay Times, they belong in a reality show,” Kornell said. “That’s completely un-American.”
Kornell said Trump has every right to travel to St. Pete, but he also has every right to disagree with the presidential candidate.
City Council Chairman Charlie Gerdes laughed about Kriseman’s tweet. He said he didn’t even know about it until Tuesday morning when a neighbor commented that it was “crazy.”
Another attorney from Fort Lauderdale told Gerdes on the phone that the Mayor’s tweet was “great.”
“It’s gotten around,” Gerdes said. “If you understand the U.S. Constitution then you thought it was funny.”
Gerdes added, it’s those who don’t understand the constitution who may have taken offense to Kriseman’s tone.
City Council co-chairwoman Amy Foster did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the tweet, but posted something relevant to the conversation on her Facebook page Tuesday morning.
“We have a saying in our household that all decisions are based on love or fear. For us, we choose love every time – even when it’s difficult. Today I ask my friends and neighbors to simply remember the golden rule,” Foster wrote.
It’s unclear whether or not she was referencing Trump’s comments about Muslims, but her request to friends and neighbors could certainly apply to that and a number of other incidents occurring lately.
