Denver mayor jets to Mississippi to celebrate Thanksgiving after telling residents to stay home

The mayor of Denver has been branded a ‘hypocrite’ for jetting out of the city for Thanksgiving, just hours after he posted a message urging residents to stay home for the holiday. 

A spokesperson for Democrat Mayor Michael Hancock admitted Wednesday that the politician was flying to Mississippi to celebrate Thanksgiving at his daughter’s house. 

‘As he has shared, the Mayor is not hosting his traditional large family dinner this year, but instead traveling alone to join his wife and daughter where the three of them will celebrate Thanksgiving at her residence instead of having them travel back to Denver,’ Hancock’s deputy communications director told ABC 7 in a statement.

‘Upon return, he will follow all necessary health and safety guidance and quarantine.’

The admission came a short time after Hancock posted a message to Twitter, pleading with constituents to avoid travel as COVID-19 cases spike across the city. 

‘Pass the potatoes, not COVID. Stay home as much as you can, especially if you’re sick Host virtual gatherings instead of in-person dinners. Avoid travel, if you can. Order your holiday meal from a local eatery. Shop online with a small business for Black Friday,’ his message read. 

The Mayor was blasted by hundreds of angry people in the replies section of the message, who accused him of ‘rules for thee, but not for me’. 

‘So your trip to spend Thanksgiving with family in Mississippi that you’re literally at the airport for as this is tweeted out is wholly unavoidable? What a disgrace. It’s little wonder why people are so distrusting,’ one raged. 

‘Typical politics, do what as I say, not as I do. Maybe you should have stayed in Denver and had a virtual gathering instead of traveling,’ another chimed in. 

A third person wrote: ‘Being that you are on a plane to visit family, can we visit family? You think it’s safe enough for you, why not us?!?” 

Another shared a GIF describing Hancock as ‘toxic’, ‘phony’, ‘a hypocrite’, and a ‘liar’. 

Colorado is currently struggling with a surge in coronavirus cases. 

One in ever 42 residents is currently infected with COVID-19, according to ABC 7. 

Denver County reported  567 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, taking the total number of infected residents to more than 33,900. 

Mayor Hancock isn’t the only official who has been branded a hypocrite for organizing private Thanksgiving festivities that are at odds with their public recommendations. 

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was forced to cancel his planned Thanksgiving dinner following widespread backlash.

Earlier this week, Cuomo revealed that he had invited his 89-year-old mother and two of his daughters to celebrate the holiday at his home. He later reversed course on those plans. 

Meanwhile, there has been outrage at other politicians for openly flouting coronavirus guidelines put in place amid the ongoing pandemic. 

Earlier this month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom was pictured enjoy a dinner in a ritzy restaurant with 11 friends, despite telling constituents to reconsider their Thanksgiving plans. 

In September, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited a shuttered indoor salon in San Francisco to have her hair done, despite the fact the city had banned such services. She was pictured on surveillance video inside the premises without a mask. 

Pelosi later claimed to have been ‘set up’ and did not take personal responsibility for her actions, which were a blatant breach of San Francisco’s guidelines.