Local politicians in Florida had harsh words for Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis after the mayor of Hialeah was reportedly left out of a meeting on the state's COVID-19 outbreak.
"The mayor of Hialeah, the second-largest city in Miami-Dade County, said Tuesday that he was denied entry to a roundtable that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held with several city mayors to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic," the Miami Herald reported Tuesday.
"Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez said he didn’t receive an invitation, but Miami Mayor Francis Suarez informed him the roundtable was taking place. When Hernandez tried to walk in, he told the Miami Herald, a member of the governor’s staff told him he wasn’t invited and couldn’t enter," the newspaper reported.
In a statement, Hernandez blasted the governor.
"The reason why this pandemic is taking and destroying the lives of our residents is because our governor acts like a spoiled child. His lack of leadership and disrespect towards others was evident today," he wrote. "Gov. DeSantis has treated the residents of Hialeah like third-class citizens by not allowing us to participate in such an important meeting.
"There is no justification for what happened today and even less so by the Mayor of Miami-Dade County, Carlos Gimenez, that allowed for this to happen, in his office. The inferiority complex of both these elected officials overpowers any intent that they may have to save their community. This pandemic has only worsened due to their lack of competence to handle it," he declared.
Florida state Rep. Cindy Polo (D-Hialeah) also blasted DeSantis.
"The governor doesn't give a sh*t about my city unless it's to pander for votes," she charged.
Watch:
