A Miami Herald columnist is facing pushback after saying in a now-deleted tweet that beaches reopening in Florida will “thin the ranks” of Republican voters.
Some beaches, including in Jacksonville, began to reopen last week after being closed because of the coronavirus. Columnist Fabiola Santiago tweeted Sunday that the hundreds of people swarming the areas will “thin” the number of supporters for President Trump, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
“Packed beaches should work nicely to thin the ranks of Trump/DeSantis/Gimenez supporters in #Florida who value money over health,” the tweet read, according to the Daily Caller.
Santiago deleted the tweet and offered an apology on Twitter, saying it “didn’t accurately convey my sentiment and I want to apologize for the phrase I used that offended many people.”
In fact, my intent was to sound an alarm about prematurely opening up the country and the state. I was trying to open eyes, minds and save lives, not create a controversy about me instead of the issue, which merits discussion. #StayHome #BeSafe #practicesocialdistancing
— Fabiola Santiago (@fabiolasantiago) April 20, 2020
Still, Santiago was met with harsh criticism by some on Twitter, including from Donald Trump Jr., who called the Miami Herald biased and “disgusting.”
This tweet from a Miami Herald columnist tells you all you need to know about her, and based on their hiring choices, likely everything you need to know about the Miami Herald as well. Their flagrant bias continues to go on unchecked. Disgusting. https://t.co/FOmn5zxnaK
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 19, 2020
Others echoed similar sentiments.
SICK:
Fabiola Santiago—columnist for the Miami Herald tweeted today that packed beaches will “nicely thin the ranks for DeSantis & Trump supporters”
She is also part of the @UF school of “journalism” hall of fame
She should be fired & removed of any honors for this
RT!
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) April 20, 2020
So your plan was to “save lives” by publicly hoping the virus would “thin the ranks of Trump/DeSantis/Gimenez supporters” once the economy begins re-opening… But you’d like to clarify that you “would never wish any harm on anyone”? ?
— Cliff Sims (@Cliff_Sims) April 20, 2020
Dear @fabiolasantiago,
People who go to beaches are much more safe than those who go to the grocery store to fight over the last roll of toilet paper.
It’s a shame to see the Miami Herald become the NY Times of the south! https://t.co/0xDEYzBLgf
— Andrew Pollack (@AndrewPollackFL) April 20, 2020
Santiago left up a different tweet from Sunday, criticizing people who were out in public and suggesting they were Trump supporters by calling them “the red-hatted” who were “listening to their masters,” the Daily Caller reported.
Here’s the #miamilakes version of stupid this morning, a gathering of Mustang enthusiasts, no masks, and viejos, young people and children as it grew. The red-hatted listening to their masters. pic.twitter.com/bVm4WVj5RJ
— Fabiola Santiago (@fabiolasantiago) April 19, 2020
