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Following a car crash at an LGBT parade in Florida this weekend, left-wing activists and reporters were quick to blame Governor Ron DeSantis, calling the incident a act of “terrorism” against LGBT Americans before the facts about the case were made public.
The episode occurred on Saturday, when a 77-year-old man driving a white Dodge truck unexpectedly struck several pedestrians as he approached the Stonewall Pride Parade in Wilton Manors, Florida. One person was killed in the incident, while another was seriously injured.
Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis issued a statement at the crash scene, prematurely claiming that the incident was a “terrorist attack” against LGBT Floridians.
“This is a terrorist attack on the LGBT community,” he said. “This is exactly what it is. Barely an accident. It was deliberate, it was premeditated, and it was targeted against a specific person. Fortunately, they missed this person, but unfortunately they hit two other people.
Following an investigation by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD), however, police later confirmed that the driver – who was on the parade – accidentally accelerated. According to CBS Miami, “Police said the driver had issues preventing him from walking for the duration of the parade, which is why he was chosen to be the lead vehicle.” Officers also performed a DUI field test, which showed no signs of impairment.
Trantalis is hardly the only Democrat to preemptively politicize the incident. Several prominent Democratic activists and media figures wereted no time in trying to blame Republican Governor Ron DeSantis for the tragedy, citing the governor’s recently signed riot legislation as the root cause.
“Wilton Manors, that’s what happens when you pass a bill that encourages people to run over protesters with their cars,” Democratic activist Chris Hahn tweeted. “Ron DeSantis and the rest of the Florida GOP have blood on their hands. #DeathSantis. Hahn has since deleted the tweet and posted a correction and apology.
Left-wing writer Lesley Abravanel also took to Twitter, comparing the governor of Florida to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un and calling the incident “Charlottesville part 2”, in apparent reference to the racial violence that has took place in the city of Virginia in August 2017.
“2 hit by truck, 1 killed at #Prideparade in Wilton Manors narrowly missing @DWStweets,” she said. “Domestic terrorism legalized by bigot #KimJongRon #DeathSantis. Charlottesville, Part 2. #RemoveRon #Florida #Floriduh “Abravanel later admitted that the incident was unrelated to terrorism, while calling DeSantis a” bigot “.
As we now know, last night’s tragic incident at the #Pride parade in Wilton Manors was not domestic terrorism. But the toxic environment created by the laws of a fanatic like @GovRonDeSantis and Trump’s encouragement of terror fueled Turd Reich’s regime and #GQP made it all plausible https://t.co / ltgMncEyB6
– Lesley Abravanel (@lesleyabravanel) June 20, 2021
DeSantis press secretary Christina Pushaw noted the media’s desire to put politics ahead of the accuracy of the incident.
“As Floridians we should come together to mourn the loss of life and pray for the recovery of those who have been injured,” she told the Federalist. “But instead, a local official made premature, reckless and inflammatory remarks that were inspired by politics, not fact. This disinformation instantly spread through corporate media without the most basic attempts at fact-checking, as too many journalists prioritize “first” over precision.
Pushaw also said she was not surprised by the amplification of the lie received on Twitter, saying that “whenever the hashtag” DeathSantis “is trending, it is a direct result of the media lies about the Governor DeSantis. “
“This shameful politicization of a tragic accident is the latest example of the media’s refusal to let facts get in the way of their stories,” she said.
DeSantis was briefed on the matter on Saturday night and spoke with the local sheriff on the ground, according to Pushaw.
Shawn Fleetwood is an intern at The Federalist and a student at the University of Mary Washington.
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