Just one day after Jacksonville, FL, Sheriff T.K. Waters responded to Mayor Donna Deegan‘s controversial comments about former President Donald Trump’s proposed immigration policy, a single-engine Piper aircraft flew over Downtown Jacksonville trailing a derogatory sign directed at the sheriff.
On the afternoon of Oct. 17, a sign reading, “REPUGNANT-CON COWARD TK WATERS TURNED WHITE,” was flown over the city.
Waters, who is a Black man, responded the next day in a statement to News4Jax.
Waters began, “Today’s banner is a clear reminder that ignorance and hate will always breed more ignorance and hate. Jacksonville is a great city full of good people who care about one another. Let’s focus on putting that on the world’s stage.”
“This abhorrently and outright racist attack on Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters is yet another byproduct of the divisive rhetoric that continues to plague our city,” said Jacksonville Councilman Ken Amaro.
The offensive banner flying comes on the heels of another controversy that has been in the media this week. Tensions rose after Mayor Deegan, a Democrat, condemned Trump’s immigration policies.
She described his process of wanting to deport migrants without exception as being akin to a “concentration camp-type situation,” earlier this week.
“As the Sheriff of Jacksonville, it is disappointing to see our Mayor equate a commonsense immigration policy with one of the most horrific atrocities of the 20th century,” Waters told Florida’s Voice. Waters went on to blame Harris for the migrant crisis by saying she “has allowed a wide-open border and millions of illegal crossings.“ He went on to praise Trump, “Only President Donald J. Trump can secure our border and restore safety, security, and economic prosperity to the American people.”
He added, “The people of Jacksonville expect more from our Mayor than knee-jerk responses about President Trump’s policies. It is downright shameful.”
Many politicians came out in the next few days to express their discontent with Deegan’s choice of words, and Waters was among the first to speak on it.
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