Miami’s ABC News affiliate reports:
Gov. Ron DeSantis used ground zero, nursing homes and God’s waiting room all in one sentence at his press briefing on coronavirus Sunday, raising the eyebrows and the ire of a few.
“Florida is ground zero for the nursing home, we’re God’s waiting room,” DeSantis said Sunday. “We have a huge number of facilities, a huge number of residents.” The term is a decades-old joke about the amount of retirees that move to Florida; it isn’t complimentary.
Florida Democratic Party chair Terrie Rizzo was quick to react to the Republican governor’s gaffe, sending out a statement: “Governor, this isn’t a time to do stand-up, it’s a time to stand up and lead.”
Governor Ron DeSantis sparks outrage for joking that Florida is ‘God’s waiting room’ for dying senior citizens https://t.co/oLXNnco7UF
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) April 27, 2020
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called his state “God’s waiting room” for senior citizens. Then he dissed Brooklyn over its horrifying coronavirus death toll.https://t.co/i2Uongpg3O
— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) April 26, 2020