On the day that Florida Rep. Val Demings (D) champions her background as an Orland police chief, Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) is accusing Demings of “political opportunism.” This week, the Florida Democrat released a statement addressing the rise in violent crime, but Senator Rubio is arguing that Demings has contributed to said rise in violent crime.
On Twitter, Rep. Demings shared a picture of her time as an officer, writing that “as a former law enforcement officer I am working to hire, train, and retain detectives and victim services personnel to investigate shootings and support victims.” She then redirected followers to her Facebook page wherein she would be livestreaming a statement on the rise of violent crime.
As a former law enforcement officer I am working to hire, train, and retain detectives and victim services personnel to investigate shootings and support victims. Tune into our press conference today at noon on Facebook. pic.twitter.com/WLM9mYl9XK
— Rep. Val Demings (@RepValDemings) February 9, 2022
However, Senator Rubio responded to her remarks, arguing that her political involvement in the last two years prove otherwise.
In a press release, Rubio shared that “in 2020, Demings called the Defund the Police movement ‘very thoughtful,’ adding that “instead of standing with our nation’s law enforcement, Demings lectured them rather than the violent rioters in the Washington Post.”
In the following year, Rubio argued that “Demings was silent on the mass lootings and uptick in violence, even after she voted to release violent criminals from prison and to allow a pathway to citizenship for gang members and sex offenders.”
What this culminates for him is Demings “asking Floridians for a promotion,” and in a statement, Rubio commented that “ever since arriving in Washington, Val Demings has made it harder for police to do their jobs while enabling violence criminals.”
He expressed that “today’s demonstration is solely motivated by her run for Senate, and is too little, too late for the many Americans affected by the uptick in violent crime.”
For Rubio, “this is political opportunism at its worst.”
Earlier this year, 55 Florida Sheriffs endorsed Rubio, calling him “the very best for Florida.”
Sheriff Wayne Ivey from Brevard County praised Rubio while also criticizing Demings, expressing that Demings “turned her back on her profession as she stood with the soft on crime crowd in Washington D.C.”
