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L: Screenshot via @FBSaunders on X. R: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File
After a Black Democratic state representative was arrested at a sit-in protest at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) office, he approvingly shared a tweet referring to her as “ghetto.”
The kerfuffle connects back to Florida’s recent congressional redistricting that passed during a special session in late April.
The unusual mid-decade redistricting was part of an effort by President Donald Trump to gain advantages for the GOP in November’s upcoming midterm elections, with control of the U.S. House and Senate on the line. Multiple other states, under both Republican and Democratic majority control, have redrawn their maps in various ways under their own laws, sparking partisan rhetorical battles and numerous lawsuits, as the expected impact on November remains to be seen.
The calculations for where to put the new district lines were based on the most recent past election and both Trump and the GOP’s popularity have taken significant hits in the polling since his second presidential term began. The immigration policies pushed by Trump and DeSantis have been identified as influencing Hispanic voters souring on Republicans, a potentially election-swinging factor in a state like Florida.
The redistricting debate has largely followed along party lines, depending on who is in the majority and who will be disadvantaged by the new lines, and as expected, Florida Democrats vociferously opposed DeSantis’ maps, which has been described as likely to reduce their seats in the state’s congressional delegation by four.
State Rep. Angie Nixon (D), who represents a Jacksonville-area district, vocally protested with a bullhorn as the redistricting vote was taken, with the GOP majority easily passing the measure as Nixon admonished them for what she called a “violation of the Constitution” and an “assault on our democracy.”
On Friday, Nixon began a sit-in protest at the governor’s office in the state capitol complex in Tallahassee around midday, according to the Tallahassee Democrat (the name of the newspaper based in Florida’s capital city, founded in 1905; it is not an identifier of partisan affiliation).
Nixon told the paper “a receptionist told her someone would come speak with her,” but she waited for several hours without having a conversation with the governor or his staffers about the issues she said had inspired her to do this protest. Besides the redistricting issue, Nixon said she was concerned about the the increasing burden of the cost of living in Florida, budget issues, spending (specifically the millions of dollars spent on “Alligator Alcatraz” that have yet to be reimbursed by the federal government)
“People are hurting in the state of Florida,” said Nixon. “We have yet to pass a balanced budget, but they instead passed rigged maps. Rigged maps to take people’s voices away.”
“I’m still here,” she added. “I’m not leaving.”
The Capitol police had warned her she could be trespassed but she was allowed to remain until 5 pm. Multiple reporters at the Capitol Friday posted video and social media posts showing Nixon sitting in the reception area of DeSantis’ offices and then the governor’s staffers warning Nixon, the press, and others nearby that they would be trespassed if they remained after closing time at 5 pm ET.
According to WJXT, Nixon did in fact refuse to leave and was arrested by Capitol Police; she told reporters two other protesters were arrested for trespass with her as well.
An aide for Nixon confirmed her arrest and a charge of trespassing.
Nixon issued the following statement:
My commitment has always been to the people of my district and to the Constitution I swore to uphold, not to any political party or agenda. I will continue to honor that commitment by fighting against injustice, defending our democracy, and demanding action on the issues that matter most to the people we serve.
I will not allow our rights and representation to be taken away in silence. At a time when people need their leadership to step up and govern, Gov. DeSantis and the Republican-controlled legislature in Florida are playing politics with people’s lives. I was arrested today along with outraged constituents demanding action instead of doing the job taxpayers send them to Tallahassee for. I am calling for the release of all the peaceful protesters arrested today and for this legislature to revisit the Constitution they claim to uphold so that we can have representative maps.
The Florida Democratic Party issued a press release lambasting DeSantis for having “Capitol police forcibly remove peaceful protesters, including Rep. Angie Nixon, and members of the press from his office,” calling it “a chilling and clear violation of their First Amendment Rights.” The party issued a statement from Chairwoman Nikki Fried:
Arrests and intimidation from Governor DeSantis will not change the truth. The maps passed last week by Florida Republicans are illegal, discriminatory, and anti-democratic.
“=This special session was about forcing through maps designed to dilute the voting power of Black and brown Floridians, defy Florida’s Constitution, and rig elections for one party.
Floridians have the right to peacefully protest when their communities are under attack and elected officials have a responsibility to stand with them.
We’re deeply concerned by reports that journalists covering the protests were removed from the Capitol. Freedom of the press is a fundamental part of democracy and any threat or limitation to that freedom weakens our country, state, and communities. Only wannabe dictators arrest their political opponents in the shadows.
Florida Democrats will keep fighting to protect every voter’s voice.
DeSantis made his own public statements about the arrest as well, in several social media posts. In one, he shared a tweet from his chief of staff, Jason Weida, that said Nixon had been “[r]eprimanded and now arrested.”
“Deservedly so,” the governor added his comment. “Our office isn’t a platform for this performative nonsense.”
DeSantis also shared a tweet from conservative commentator Eric Daugherty about Nixon being arrested. Daugherty’s tweet, screenshot below, was highly critical of Nixon, referring to her as “ghetto Rep. Angie Nixon” and claiming she had “melted down, and FAFO’d!” (referring to the abbreviation for “f*cked around and found out,” a modern internet version of the saying, “reaping what you sow”).
Screenshot via X.
DeSantis retweeted the post, echoing Daugherty’s comment with his own caption of “FAFO.”
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The post DeSantis Approvingly Retweets Post Calling Black Lawmaker a ‘Ghetto Rep’ first appeared on Mediaite.
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