Social Media Reaction to Miami Mayor’s Trump Endorsement
In a surprising move, Francis Suarez, the Mayor of Miami and a former presidential hopeful, has announced his endorsement for Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election. Sharing his endorsement on bothTwitter X and Instagram, Suarez praised Trump as the “sole candidate capable of securing our nation, reinforcing our borders, alleviating inflation, and leading our nation effectively.” The mayor stated that his endorsement was based on these reasons, and he was eager to campaign for Trump, accentuating Trump’s strong record and contrasting it to the current administration’s performance. Suarez also expressed his anticipation in assisting Trump and the Republican party in winning a larger Hispanic, young voters, and urban population.
Suarez’s endorsement met with significant backlash on social media platforms. The announcement resulted in both strong disappointments and criticisms. One Instagram user expressed their disappointment, stating how Suarez’s endorsement of Trump, who they referred to as a ‘wannabe dictator,’ is both ‘shameful’ and a ploy to bolster Suarez’s political career.
This heated reaction referenced the collapse of the immigration legislation in early February, which was caused by Trump stating it only benefited the Democrats, leading most Republicans in Congress to withdraw their support.
The backlash against Suarez’s endorsing of Trump continued with CJ (@LjcSoon) posting, “Two corrupt politicians supporting each other- just the Republican way! Francis, you’ve been a letdown.” on March 1, 2024
Others on social media responded to Suarez’s endorsement with disappointment and shock. One person stated they’d lost all respect for the mayor due to his support for Trump, and an Instagram user branded him as a ‘hack,’ implying that no matter how much Suarez endorsed Trump, he wouldn’t get hired. Another user questioned how Suarez could support Trump while protesting dictatorship in Cuba.
Author and journalist Jacob Silverman indirectly insinuated that Suarez might need a pardon from Trump, given his pending investigation by the FBI and the county’s ethics commission. This observation was made on March 1, 2024. This was in reference to his previous real estate-related dealings with developer Rishi Kapoor, which faced scrutiny. A separate post humorously suggested that Suarez “could ‘share a cell with Trump'” to understand the struggle of Miami residents looking for affordable housing.
Francis Suarez has also been in the news due to his promotion of MiamiCoin, a digital currency he claimed could potentially replace city taxes. The collapse of this digital currency is still fresh in the minds of some social media users. One Twitter user humorously said, “I would love to donate to his campaign, but all my cash is invested in Miami Coin, and I’m living under a bridge waiting for my payoff.” Another user urged the mayor to concentrate on local issues.
Posted on March 1, 2024
Despite the overwhelming criticism, some supporters defended Suarez’s right to endorse Trump, mentioning that Florida is likely to vote Republican again. Another defender called out the predominance of ‘liberal, virtue-signalling middle-aged white women’ commenting against Trump.
It is worth noting that Suarez was once a contender for the presidential race himself but suspended his campaign in August 2023, marking one of the shortest presidential runs in recent history. He garnered less than one percent of the vote in national surveys and was the first candidate to withdraw from the Trump-dominated Republican presidential race.