Covid cases in Florida - like many other US states - are currently soaring.
Now some people are asking: Where’s the governor?
The hashtag #WhereIsRon began trending on Friday as some accused him of going missing. State senator Shevrin Jones tweeted: “Counties are overwhelmed w/ lines that stretch for miles, @GovRonDeSantis said FL will not open state-run testing sites… It’s every man/woman for themselves because leadership is missing in action.”
DeSantis last spoke to the media about the virus on December 17, and the chatter over his whereabouts escalated after a recent images posted to his Twitter account were images taken days ago. Indy100 reached out to DeSantis’ office for comment.
His office has, however, shared official schedules showing meetings he’s attended over the past few days, and his spokesperson Christina Pushaw tweeted that as a family man “it’s not surprising if he wants to take a few days off at Christmas to spend time with his family, especially as his wife is battling cancer.”
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But it’s the photos on his Twitter feed that have caused a partial stir.
DeSantis’ account shared a photo on December 28 which was reportedly taken 12 days prior.
Stopped in at Sister's Sweets, Eats & More in Chipley and enjoyed a nice lunch and some great baked goods.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) December 28, 2021
Give them a try if you're in the area: https://t.co/dLCaozZICd pic.twitter.com/GyH1UVqGgZ
And on Thursday, DeSantis’ Twitter account posted a photo of him visiting Bagelicious Deli & Bakery in Ocala, Florida.
But Occupy Democrats’ executive director Grant Stern then pointed to a Facebook post by Bagelicious Deli & Bakery on December 17 that displayed the same photo.
Had some great bagels from Bagelicious Deli & Bakery in Ocala.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) December 30, 2021
Stop by if you’re in the area! pic.twitter.com/UaiN9g7MEh
People on Twitter couldn’t help but speculate the governor’s whereabouts.
As COVID surges in Florida again, our governor is absent. So here I am doing his job and mine with an update. pic.twitter.com/d0M4Bp6R6m
— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) December 29, 2021
View from the beach today in Miami. #WhereIsRon pic.twitter.com/Ta7z6GTZfH
— Myrsh (@myrshdc) December 30, 2021
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried, who is running for governor as a Democrat, said that she didn’t know where DeSantis was.
Fried said that he “cancelled” their “cabinet meeting in the middle of December” and that she hasn’t seen him since December 17.
“Local counties and state commissioners are having to stand up testing sites. We have five-hour lines in Miami-Dade County, and he’s nowhere to be found.”