Debbie Mucarsel-Powell calls on Ron DeSantis to resign

DEBBIE-MUCARSEL-POWELL
She said information suppression cost thousands of lives.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell called for Gov. Ron DeSantis’ resignation Monday morning.

A long-time critic of the Governor’s COVID-19 response, she suggested the Governor was actively hindering government transparency in a pandemic.

“By withdrawing critical COVID information from Floridians, Gov. Ron DeSantis has (cost) thousands of lives,” the Miami Democrat tweeted. “DeSantis must resign.”

That came days after a South Florida Sun Sentinel investigation was published that alleged the Governor engaged in months of spin that “suppressed unfavorable facts, dispensed dangerous misinformation, dismissed public health professionals, and promoted the views of scientific dissenters who supported the Governor’s approach to the disease.”

Mucarsel-Powell isn’t exactly on the strongest political footing of her career right now. The freshman Representative lost reelection to a second term in the House last month, losing to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Giménez. The defeat came two years after she unseated Republican Carlos Curbelo in the swing seat.

This isn’t the first time she has heavily criticized DeSantis. Early on in the pandemic, she said state officials were responsible for a backlog in testing data and apparent misreporting by the Department of Health on the number of pending test results that existed in Florida at the time.

She also called on the federal government to step in to fix problems dogging Florida’s unemployment claims system.

Some liberal activists in the state have long called for DeSantis to resign over perceived poor response to the pandemic. Florida recently became the third state to report more than 1 million diagnosed cases of COVID-19; it’s notably also the third most populous state in the union.

DeSantis’ office has yet to acknowledge a sitting member of Congress, albeit an outgoing one, calling for the Governor to step down.

The Republican Governor is up for reelection in 2022. Republicans enjoyed a strong election in November, flipping two Democratic House seats red.

Jacob Ogles

Jacob Ogles has covered politics in Florida since 2000 for regional outlets including SRQ Magazine in Sarasota, The News-Press in Fort Myers and The Daily Commercial in Leesburg. His work has appeared nationally in The Advocate, Wired and other publications. Events like SRQ’s Where The Votes Are workshops made Ogles one of Southwest Florida’s most respected political analysts, and outlets like WWSB ABC 7 and WSRQ Sarasota have featured his insights. He can be reached at [email protected].


9 comments

  • S B ANTHONY

    December 7, 2020 at 10:30 am

    DeSantis should be indicted and prosecuted.

  • Bob

    December 7, 2020 at 10:39 am

    Who cares? She lost and she cried about it. It is horrific that government across the country are trying to restrict an individuals right to make a living. I applaud DeSantis for standing up for our individual right.

  • James C Williams

    December 7, 2020 at 11:07 am

    I agree! DeSantis has been an abject failure in dealing with COVID-19. He should resign.

  • Ron Ogden

    December 7, 2020 at 11:17 am

    Loser!

  • Sonja Fitch

    December 7, 2020 at 11:29 am

    Desantis is willingly slaughtering Floridians! Arrest him and lock him
    Up! Desantis has blood guts and hate all over his being and is grossly negligent in caring and protecting Floridians! Get out Desantis!

  • E.Hamel

    December 7, 2020 at 12:24 pm

    Desantis is as incompetent as his idol Trump.he needs to be ousted.A loser

  • Veda Smith

    December 7, 2020 at 6:17 pm

    I also agree that DeSantis (DeathSantis) to be more accurate should step down. He has blatantly followed Trumps lead with this pandemic and being that we are a retirement State a good portion of the residents are senior and in need of positive leadership when our health is in question. Our numbers rise daily to unacceptable levels and he does nothing about any of it…..DeSantis OUT

  • DisplacedCTYankee

    December 8, 2020 at 7:49 am

    Yesterday I went into a small retail store I frequent and the clerks — and the owner — still refuse to wear masks even when I enter wearing one. While I was there a young guy came in, maskless, and I backed as far away as I could. The clerk looked at me. I pointed to my mask. He had the gall to ask “Are you aware that Manatee County does NOT have a mask mandate.” I said “I am aware that Manatee County has had 400 Covid deaths.”

    I go to this store because they are the “only game in town.”

    Yes, DeSantis is culpable in this. He is as guilty as President Shithead.

  • Sorelosers

    December 8, 2020 at 11:05 am

    Yawn. She has about as much credibility as Sonja Fitch. You lost. move on. (Trump should do likewise).

Comments are closed.


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