MIAMI – Video of a heckler interrupting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis during a news conference on the state’s health response to the coronavirus pandemic is circulating the internet and social media.
The Tampa Bay Times identified the heckler as Tomas Kennedy. He is the Florida director of United We Dream, a national immigrant advocacy group, according to the report.
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RELATED: See News4Jax’s original coverage of the news conference.
At the news conference, Kennedy is heard shouting:
“Shame on you. You are an embarrassment. We are getting record-breaking cases every day and you are doing nothing. You are falsifying information and you are misleading the public. Over 4,000 people have died and you are blaming the protesters. You guys have no plan and you’re doing nothing. Shame on you.”
News4Jax fact-checked the claims made by Kennedy. News4Jax found one report of DeSantis blaming the spike in coronavirus cases on protesters for racial equality. Florida Department of Health data shows there have been 4,381 deaths from the virus.
The video posted to Twitter by the man shows the first-person view of the interruption.
I just interrupted a press conference in Miami-Dade to let governor @RonDeSantisFL and @MayorGimenez know they are an embarrassment to FL and that their incompetence and lack of planning has resulted in the current public health crisis.
— Thomas Kennedy (@tomaskenn) July 13, 2020
4,381 people have died so far in FL pic.twitter.com/q6SozHfT8o
Another video stream of the news conference shows the governor’s reaction.
WATCH: Heckler interrupts Gov. Ron DeSantis during a press conference on the state's pandemic health response. The man is heard shouting, "You have done nothing. Shame on you."
Posted by WJXT4 The Local Station / News4JAX on Tuesday, July 14, 2020
DeSantis never verbally acknowledges Kennedy, but pauses as security is escorting him out. News4Jax reached out to the Twitter account where the video was posted and United We Dream for a comment.