Crist: No room for politics in Covid-19 battle
Unity and cooperation between elected officials and political leaders is needed to fight the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, said Rep. Charlie Crist in a nationally televised appearance Sunday.
“There’s no room for politics here at all,” Crist, D-St. Petersburg, said on Weekends with Alex Witt on MSNBC.
He cited ongoing talks between President Donald Trump, a Republican, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat.
“We need to focus on unity and working together. Do unto others as you would have done unto you — the Golden Rule,” said Crist, who sent yellow wristbands that invoked the Golden Rule to every member of Congress in 2017. “I think that kind of attitude and cooperation and coming together and working together and having hope is the most important thing we can focus on right now.”
Crist, a former Republican and former Florida governor, was asked about criticism of current Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis last week issued a statewide Stay at Home order that took effect Friday morning, but critics say DeSantis was slow to respond to the situation.
“I think [there was] maybe a little bit of a slow start at the outset by the administration here, but I’m encouraged and I want to emphasize that. I’ve been in those shoes,” Crist said. “People like to Monday morning quarterback these things a lot. I don’t think this is a time for criticism. This is a time to come together to do everything we can for each other to be able to get through this thing as quickly as we can. That’s what the American people want. That’s why my fellow Floridians want, I can assure you of that.”
Crist mentioned his faith several times during the interview.
“It’s ironic though that the president would say that this may be our toughest week. This is Holy week. Today is Palm Sunday. A week from today it’s Easter. This is a time to pray and to look to God and understand that having a deep faith, which I do, is incredibly important and to take solace and comfort in that,” Crist said. “I see a lot of people who are very anxious, and it’s understandable that people would be. But we also have to understand who is in charge, and it’s not us, and take comfort in God.”
S. Rose Smith-Hayes
April 8, 2020at2:08 pm
Rep. Crist is not perfect, but he always tries. If he makes a mistake, he tries to correct it. He has my support.