Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’s reelection campaign is cashing in on a stream of Democrats recently caught on camera vacationing in the Sunshine State.
After several nationally prominent Democrats, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, California Rep. Eric Swalwell, and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have been caught on camera enjoying vacations in Florida, without donning masks, or observing other COVID-19 restrictions enforced in their home states, the DeSantis campaign is launching new merchandise calling attention to their visits.
"Escape to Florida" T-shirts are now available on the campaign’s official website for $25, that show the state with an "open" sign on it, and "Lockdown Libs Tour" written across the bottom of the shirt’s front.
On the back, there is a list of Democrats and the cities they were spotted in, with "We don’t blame you … we like freedom too," written below the list, and a DeSantis campaign logo on the bottom.
The campaign also posted a video on YouTube promoting the shirts, with DeSantis putting on a pair of sunglasses and saying, "Welcome to Florida."
After AOC was filmed during her maskless vacation in Miami, which included hugging and kissing attendees at a party, DeSantis commented during a press conference last week that he would be "wealthy" if he had $1 for every Democrat from a blue state with heavy COVID-19 restrictions that "escaped" to his state.
"If I had a dollar for every lockdown politician who decided to escape to Florida over the last two years, I’d be a pretty doggone wealthy man, let me tell you," Fox News reported DeSantis saying at a press conference last week. "I mean, Congress people, mayors, governors — you name it."
AOC’s official office announced that she tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday and was recovering at home after experiencing symptoms of the disease.
According to the announcement, the congresswoman is fully vaccinated and received a booster shot during the fall.
Unlike Florida, her home state of New York requires masks and vaccines for everyone age 5 and above to be able to go to restaurants, theaters, museums, or other indoor businesses, according to the state.
Swalwell’s California has similar restrictions to New York, as does Michigan.
DeSantis filed paperwork for his reelection campaign in early November 2021, raising some $53 million through his political action committee before he filed, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
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