Some of President Donald Trump’s allies in states where coronavirus cases are surging again, are breaking with the White House on the state of the pandemic and how to respond.
Politico noted that infections have more than doubled over the past two weeks in Arizona, Florida and Texas. Republican governors in each state are key Trump supporters.
Before Trump’s visit to Arizona on Tuesday, Gov. Doug Ducey tweeted a graphic on how to properly wear a mask. He included the hashtag “MaskUpAZ.”
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, a Democrat, had issued a statement reminding the president and supporters of the city’s masking policy. But Politico, citing reports out of Phoenix, said neither Trump nor many of his supporters appeared to follow her instructions.
In Texas, Gov Greg Abbott urged people to stay inside and wear face masks when going outside. On Tuesday, the state had tallied more than 5,000 new cases in a single day for the first time.
And in Florida, a battleground state, officials are cracking down on bars and restaurants that violate occupancy limits and social distancing, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.,
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported that DeSantis said business that violate operating restrictions will get a visit from the “grim reaper in terms of business licenses.”
Politico noted Florida will host the Republican National Convention in August and a presidential debate in the fall.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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