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SENATE CANDIDATE Rep. Val Demings (D-FL) canceled her participation in a political event she planned to hold with Anna Eskamani, a local representative of the radical wing of the Democratic Party, after Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office pointed to Eskamani’s plans to “defund” the Orlando Police Department (OPD).
On her Twitter account, Demings made a public call to participate in an event alongside Eskamani to discuss her views in defense of abortion.
In a 2020 campaign statement, Eskamani touted her intentions to “divest in law enforcement” and direct those funds to “community programs,” and promoted the “demilitarization” of OPD, where Demings served as chief until 2011.
Rubio’s campaign responded to Demings’ publication, claiming that the Democrat was trying to convince Florida citizens to distrust “their own eyes” while allying herself with Democratic radicals like Eskamani.
Rubio’s communications director, Elizabeth Gregory, said Florida law enforcement can count on the Republican senator to defend their interests, and lamented Demings’ use of Eskamani as a political tool.
“While Val Demings spends millions of dollars on ads trying to convince Floridians not to believe their own eyes, she’s campaigning with Florida’s own Defund the Police champion.” Gregory told Fox News.
It is unknown why Demings decided not to attend the event she personally called for on social media. However, the Senate candidate ran an ad in mid-June in which she promised to steer Florida away from “bad ideas” such as defunding the police, and prided herself on having been Chief of OPD.
Tomás Lugo, journalist and writer. Born in Venezuela and graduated in Social Communication. Has written for international media outlets. Currently living in Colombia // Tomás Lugo, periodista y articulista. Nacido en Venezuela y graduado en Comunicación Social. Ha escrito para medios internacionales. Actualmente reside en Colombia.