Following fierce criticism, Miami Herald columnist Fabiola Santiago has issued an apology for her remarks that said Floridians returning in droves to newly opened beaches and apparently defying social distancing policies "should work nicely to thin the ranks" of supporters of such Republicans as President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Miami Mayor Carlos Giménez.
"I deleted the tweet commenting on people at the beach because it didn't accurately convey my sentiment and I want to apologize for the phrase I used that offended many people," Santiago wrote. "Regardless of political differences, I would never wish any harm on anyone."
She added that "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."
Within hours of pictures circulating showing droves of people at some Florida beaches following their reopening, Santiago wrote on Twitter that "Packed beaches should work nicely to thin the ranks of Trump/DeSantis/Gimenez supporters in #Florida who value money over health," according to The Daily Caller.
Santiago followed that up by posting additional tweets criticizing others who were congregating outside, referring to them as the "red-hatted" who obeyed Trump. She emphasized in a tweet that "More than 200 deaths and almost 10,000 confirmed cases in Miami-Dade alone, 764 deaths in the state and 26,000 confirmed cases in state as of today and they still don't get the seriousness of an easily transmissible virus."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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