Miami’s GOP Mayor Says He Won’t Let Trump Dictate City’s Coronavirus Strategy

As Florida gets hammered by a record-breaking number of coronavirus cases, Gov. Ron DeSantis has continued to follow Donald Trump’s ignorance-is-bliss approach to the outbreak.

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On Monday, the Republican governor even claimed that the Sunshine State is “better off” than it was back in March, despite the fact that Florida “set a national record for COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour period” just two days prior.

Luckily, not all GOP lawmakers in the state are burying their heads in the sand and refusing to take swift action to curb the outbreak.

During an interview with MSNBC’s Joy Reid on Tuesday, Miami Republican Mayor Francis Suarez stood by his city’s measures to curb the spread of the virus.

Suarez denied being pressured by his party to fall in line behind Trump, but he said he wouldn’t listen even if they did try to bully him.

“My obligation is not to necessarily a party,” the mayor said. “My obligation is to my residents and to make sure that I do everything possible to make sure that they’re protected.”

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Mayor Suarez said:

I’m not. And, frankly, honestly, I wouldn’t listen because the bottom line is that my obligation — I’m a nonpartisan elected official. My obligation is not to necessarily a party. My obligation is to my residents and to make sure that I do everything possible to make sure that they’re protected. And this to me should not be a partisan issue. It should not be a political issue. This is a public health safety issue and it’s an economic issue. And we have to deal with both aspects of it and I don’t think party should be involved in it at all.

In recent weeks, Miami has paused its reopening, closed beaches, and implemented stricter mask-wearing guidelines in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.

Ultimately, the best strategy to combat the coronavirus and protect the American people is to stop listening to Donald Trump and start listening to medical experts.

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Sean Colarossi

Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.