Kelly Hayes
After a day of silence, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman responded to the riots and invasion of the U.S. Capitol in a blunt statement, criticizing Republicans for being complicit in the violence witnessed Wednesday.
“I did not put out a statement or say anything on social media yesterday about Donald Trump, his enablers, his supporters and what happened at our capitol because I’ve made my feelings about Mr. Trump well known. I’ve been saying it for more than 5 years,” Kriseman wrote in a statement shared to Facebook on Thursday morning.
“If you’re looking for a statement about Trump and yesterday’s events, ask a Republican official, many of whom have been cowards, and by their silence, complicit,” Kriseman continued.
The Mayor notably came down hard on silence from lawmakers, specifically Florida Republicans.
“There are plenty of Republican elected officials at all levels of government here in Florida you can ask. Do they stand with Trump or with America? Do they support the rule of law and the peaceful transition of power? They typically answer these questions with silence. You know where I stand, and I am looking forward to January 20th and closing the book on this dark chapter in America’s history.”
Over in Tampa, Mayor Jane Castor released a statement Wednesday regarding the insurrection at the Capitol, calling it “un-American.”
“What we are seeing today, is un-American plain and simple. We are a nation that welcomes peaceful protests, they move our country forward and have shaped legislation throughout our history.”
Castor, the former Tampa Police Chief, also addressed to the work of law enforcement in Washington D.C. in her statement.
“Our thoughts are with the Capitol Police and members of the National Guard who are working to restore order so that our legislative branch can fulfill its duty and honor the will of our nation’s voters,” Castor said.
