Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) blasted Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis at a Paramore concert in Washington, D.C., on Friday night after being invited onstage by the band.
The alternative rock band’s lead singer, Hayley Williams, brought Frost onto the stage, introducing him as “the first Gen Z congressman.” After the two shared a hug, Williams asked if Frost had anything he wanted to say to the audience.
“Fuck Ron DeSantis! Fuck fascism!” Frost yelled, prompting a cheer from the crowd in response.
Frost has a history of criticizing the right-wing Florida governor, who announced his 2024 presidential candidacy last week.
Last year, the freshman congressman called out DeSantis for failing to take action against gun violence. Last month, he denounced him for backing bills that target Black people and the LGBTQ+ community, likening the governor’s actions to “fascism.”
DeSantis successfully passed and then expanded Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which limits discussions of sex and gender in public schools. The bill is just one of several other anti-LGBTQ+ measures he signed into law, along with one that would force transgender minors to detransition if they are receiving gender-affirming care and bar insurance coverage of such services for adults.
The governor also recently signed a restrictive six-week abortion ban and a ban on Advanced Placement courses on African-American history in Florida schools.
Williams also spoke out against DeSantis last week at a music festival in New Jersey, discouraging her fans from voting for him in the presidential election. Her comments were reportedly prompted by an online comment from a fan who said they wished the singer was more comfortable talking about politics on tour.
“I’ll be happy to tell you I’m very fucking comfortable talking politics,” Williams told the crowd at the Adjacent Music Festival on May 27. “And if you vote for Ron DeSantis, you’re fucking dead to me.”
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.