Although Florida Democrats have placed a high premium on bashing Gov. DeSantis's (R-FL) mask policies, top Florida Progressive, Rep. Anna Eskamani (D-49) has received bipartisan condemnation for seemingly dodging her own pro-mask rhetoric, attending an event with roughly 15 kids (interns), and posing in very close proximity with zero masks being worn.
Eskamani's "Intern Appreciation Dinner" went off without a hitch, the representative graciously complimented the group of young interns, Tweeting "What an amazing group of young people. We are inspired by each one of you.":
Tonight we hosted our Intern Appreciation Dinner! 😍
What an amazing group of young people. We are inspired by each one of you. Your personal stories, your compassion for others, endless empathy & incredible commitment to service. We can’t wait to keep watching you all shine. ✨ pic.twitter.com/1rtWsssw7v
— Rep. Anna V. Eskamani 🔨 (@AnnaForFlorida) August 23, 2021
It didn't take too long for the Twitter mob to realize we are still in a pandemic and the picture contains no signs of social distancing, proof of vaccination, or the blue infamous masks.
To be fair to Eskamani, the representative was responsive to the overwhelming backlash, providing context to the picture. "We are fully vaccinated and wore our masks when indoors, and took them off when outside for the photo." Eskamani adds "In general, being with fully vaccinated people outside is safe." Then cited the CDC.
The problem here is the ever-expanding grey area in politics, especially with mixed messaging coming from Tallahassee on COVID-19. Many in Eskamani's Twitter comments called for her to lead by example if she is to continue her criticisms of DeSantis.
However, mainstream media rhetoric has largely consisted of masking and distancing even with your vaccine. Now, the Pfizer vaccine has been FDA approved, giving more legitimacy to the shot. People with the vaccine can still fall ill to COVID-19.
In addition, President Trump, the CDC, and other Florida Democrats have called for vaccinated Americans to wear masks and social distance whenever they are to be in close quarters with other people. Eskamani's picture is as closed-quartered as you can get.
