BRADENTON, Fla. – Just three minutes after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis began to speak at a news conference in Bradenton Thursday afternoon, a protestor interrupted him to go on an expletive-laden tirade over “Alligator Alcatraz.”
DeSantis began Thursday’s news conference by offering tribute to pro-wrestling star Hulk Hogan, who died Thursday morning.
“I was sad to see the news that Hulk Hogan passed away today. He was a major icon for anybody in Gen X,” DeSantis said.
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As he was remembering Hogan’s appearance in “Rocky III,” an unidentified man interrupted the governor mid-sentence and began shouting expletives at him.
The man, who was in the back of the room, mentioned “Alligator Alcatraz” and asked the governor if that was his “f***ing legacy” while making other serious accusations.
DeSantis immediately told the man to stop and to “get out of here.”
His security team could then be seen escorting the man out, who continued to yell and bash the governor until he left the room.
Press play above to watch a censored version of the incident
The opening of the immigration detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” in the middle of the Florida Everglades has received backlash from environmentalists, advocacy groups, and public officials over allegations of poor conditions at the facility.
At the news conference Thursday, DeSantis announced that Manatee County will also be a part of the first round of jurisdictions that will be subjected to what he called “DOGE efforts” to audit local governments across the state.