Senate

Rick Scott issues travel advisory for ‘socialists,’ warning Florida is ‘openly hostile’ to them

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) issued what he described as a “formal travel advisory for socialists visiting Florida,” on Tuesday, warning that the state was “openly hostile” to socialists and their enablers.

“The state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by Socialists and others who work in the Biden Administration,” Scott, who is also the state’s former governor, said in a press release.

“Let me be clear – any attempts to spread the oppression and poverty that Socialism always brings will be rebuffed by the people of Florida,” he added. “Travelers should be aware that attempts to spread Socialism in north Florida will fail and be met with laughter and mockery.”

Scott’s statement is a mocking response to recent travel issued by social justice groups declaring Florida an unsafe state for certain minority groups.

Over the weekend, the NAACP issuing a travel advisory warning that Florida has become “hostile to Black Americans” under Gov. Ron DeSantis. The League of United Latin American Citizens (a civil rights organization) and Equality Florida (an LGBTQ rights group) also issued travel warnings in recent weeks.

Scott, who has often served as a political foil to President Biden, used similar language found in the NAACP’s advisory, seeming to mock the dangers outlined by the civil right’s group by drawing parallels to Biden.

He said the counteractive travel advisory came “in direct response to the Biden Administration attempts to erase capitalism and the system that has brought prosperity to Florida and the entire United States.”