Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y) continues to face off against the Right’s bizarre obsession with her. She was in Miami Beach recently, and a social media account associated with the team of Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis used the opportunity to share passive aggressive comments about her with their Twitter followers. Those behind the account wrote to Ocasio-Cortez that they “hope you’re enjoying a taste of freedom here in the Sunshine State thanks to [Ron DeSantis’s] leadership” — although what DeSantis has actually done is stay out of the public view even as his state grapples with a surge in COVID-19 cases.
As Florida shatters its record for new COVID cases, Democrats want answers:
"Our residents, all Florida residents, should be outraged and they should ask the question, 'Where is our state? Where is our governor? Where is Ron DeSantis now?'"https://t.co/UwCZrKYCwZ
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) December 31, 2021
Ocasio-Cortez dinged DeSantis for his fumbling in response to those comments from the DeSantis-associated account. As she phrased things:
‘Hasn’t Gov. DeSantis been inexplicably missing for like 2 weeks? If he’s around, I would be happy to say hello. His social media team seems to have been posting old photos for weeks. In the meantime, perhaps I could help with local organizing. Folks are quite receptive here. I’d also be happy to share some notes from [Kathy Hochul’s] work in NY since he seems to be in need of tips!’
I’d also be happy to share some notes from @GovKathyHochul’s work in NY since he seems to be in need of tips!
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 31, 2021
On Friday, Ocasio-Cortez also responded to a post from conservative commentator Steve Cortes, who mocked the appearance of her boyfriend’s feet in an image captured by some sort of onlooker, or something. As Ocasio-Cortez put it:
‘If Republicans are mad they can’t date me they can just say that instead of projecting their sexual frustrations onto my boyfriend’s feet. Ya creepy weirdos. It’s starting to get old ignoring the very obvious, strange, and deranged sexual frustrations that underpin the Republican fixation on me, women, & LGBT+ people in general. These people clearly need therapy, won’t do it, and use politics as their outlet instead. It’s really weird.’
It’s starting to get old ignoring the very obvious, strange, and deranged sexual frustrations that underpin the Republican fixation on me, women,& LGBT+ people in general.
These people clearly need therapy, won’t do it, and use politics as their outlet instead. It’s really weird
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 31, 2021
DeSantis has faced criticism from observers within his state for his relative inaction amid the latest rise in COVID-19 cases throughout the area. The number of patients hospitalized across Florida has once more been sharply rising — passing a 7-day average of over 3,300 on December 30, according to The New York Times — and yet, DeSantis has not conducted a press conference on the issue of COVID-19 for weeks. Although other sites are available, Florida state Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D) shared in recent days how, amid the new surge, the DeSantis administration isn’t even operating any COVID-19 testing sites, even though such sites could be critical to helping stop the spread. They’re leaving operations to others. Deaths aren’t the only potentially negative outcome from COVID-19 — the virus can leave long-lasting effects in those who live through it.
For the record, the State of Florida operates exactly ZERO COVID testing sites. #Desantis shut them all down in May since prevention isn’t really his thing.
If he opened even a single testing site, it would be a huge improvement over their current effort…which is ZERO.
— Rep. Carlos G Smith (@CarlosGSmith) December 30, 2021
