SCOTTSDALE, AZ (CNN) – An Arizona politician opposed to mask mandates mocked the dying words of George Floyd. Scottsdale, Arizona Councilman Guy Phillips spoke at a rally against the mask order in Maricopa County on Wednesday.
Phillips clearly doesn’t like wearing a mask to combat COVID-19. But what provoked backlash was his decision to use George Floyd’s dying words and the crowd applauded.
Arizona Republican Governor Doug Ducey, who has declined to issue a statewide mask mandate, slammed Phillips on Twitter. Ducey wrote in part, “Despicable doesn’t go far enough. The final words of George Floyd should never be invoked like this.”
Republican Congresswoman Martha McSally of Arizona also weighed in tweeting in part, “it’s disgusting you are mocking the dying words of a murdered man.” Phillips initially gave a statement to the Arizona Republic claiming his words weren’t connected to George Floyd.
He apologized in a second statement but has not admitted he was mocking Floyd.
