Long-shot presidential candidate Bill de Blasio attracted criticism Thursday from fellow Democrats as well as Republicans after quoting Che Guevara at a rally in Miami.
While Guevara has become a pop culture icon and has been treated as a martyr by some on the left, Miami’s Cuban exile community views the former lieutenant to Fidel Castro as a murderous sociopath, said a Miami Herald report.
Some Florida Democrats who spoke before de Blasio at the rally at the city’s airport were horrified that the New York City mayor quoted a Guevara mantra during his speech, the report added. “Please apologize,” tweeted Democratic State Sen. Jose Javier Rodríguez.
The line that De Blasio used was “Hasta la victoria siempre!” — or “Ever on to victory!” He was speaking in Miami after taking part in the first Democratic presidential debate. The two-part debate featured de Blasio and nine other hopefuls on Wednesday night and will showcase another 10 on Thursday night.
President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign was quick to join in the criticism of de Blasio, tweeting that the move shows de Blasio was probably losing. Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott, the state’s former governor, also pounced on the mayor:
De Blasio tweeted an apology Thursday afternoon. “I did not know the phrase I used in Miami today was associated with Che Guevara & I did not mean to offend anyone who heard it that way. I certainly apologize for not understanding that history,” he said.
He has been attracting support of just 0.4%, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average of polls.
Now read: Castro stands out in debate, says performance shows he’s a ‘strong candidate’
And see: Andrew Yang says debate offers him ‘nothing but upside’
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