The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's (NAACP's) travel advisory warning minorities not to visit Florida is "really stupid," Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., said.
The national NAACP issued the warning Saturday after Florida's branch called for such a move two months ago. The advisory said the Sunshine State "is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals."
The group accused Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of "aggressive attempts to erase Black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida schools."
"The only hostility I feel is this inflation hit in my pocketbook, I'll tell you that," Donalds said Monday during an appearance on Fox News. "Because that inflation hitting everybody, that is hostile.
"You know, when the price of food is up, when the price of gas, which is still up, and the fact that fentanyl is coming into every community in our country because of [President] Joe Biden, maybe the NAACP should be focused on that, because I know that's hostile."
Donalds, who is Black, said the NAACP's advisory was "really stupid. It doesn't make any sense."
"Look, I've lived in Florida since 1996 after I graduated high school. I went to college, got married, started a career, you know, lived normal life, went to church, raised kids, coached sports," he said.
"When the Miami Heat … were beating down the [Boston] Celtics last night in Miami, TNT was showing footage of different boats in the water and on a bunch of these different boats of Black people having a good time out on the water."
In its statement, the NAACP advised people thinking of traveling to Florida to "understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color."
Donalds objected to that claim.
"I don't even know what the NAACP is talking about," he told Fox News. "This is silly and it's dumb. It's political. It makes no sense.
"We should be focused on making sure people actually have the opportunity to achieve, which Florida is actually doing and thriving in way better than other states, let's say New York or California or Washington state.
"We're doing a significantly better job helping Black Americans succeed."
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