Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist appeared alongside Sen. Rick Scott at a press conference condemning rapper Ye’s upcoming Tampa concerts, due to the performer’s recent anti-semitic scandals. Crist said standing alongside Scott demonstrates a principle he hopes to bring to City Hall: working with people you disagree with when the issue demands it.
The appearance was notable: Scott succeeded Crist as governor in 2011, and the two later found themselves on opposite sides of Florida politics, including Crist’s unsuccessful 2014 gubernatorial challenge against Scott.
Yet Monday, the pair stood shoulder-to-shoulder inside the Florida Holocaust Museum denouncing antisemitism and calling on the Tampa Sports Authority to cancel Ye’s scheduled performances at Raymond James Stadium.
“Standing up to antisemitism doesn’t require an invitation – it requires a conscience,” Crist told Poliverse. “Rick and I have disagreed plenty, and we will again. Still, I was proud to stand with my friend and do what’s right.”
Crist was among a coalition of elected officials, attorneys, clergy members, Holocaust survivors and community leaders who gathered at the museum to oppose Ye’s June concerts. The rapper, formerly known as Kanye West, has drawn widespread criticism for a series of antisemitic remarks and the release of a song titled “Heil Hitler.”
“When Holocaust survivors stand in front of a boxcar in downtown St. Pete and ask if we’ll tolerate hate, the only answer is no, and party has nothing to do with it,” Crist said.
The appearance also offered Crist an opportunity to showcase how he views leadership as he campaigns to become St. Petersburg’s next mayor.
Asked what the event said about working across political lines, Crist stated: “Cooperation means finding common ground and condemning antisemitism is about as common a ground as it gets. Compromise is trading away a principle to make a deal.”
Crist said he sees no contradiction in working alongside political opponents while maintaining his own values. “I’ll cooperate with anyone to move St. Pete forward, but I won’t compromise on who we are: a welcoming city that doesn’t tolerate hate,” he said. “There’s no line to walk on bigotry. You just stand.”
One notable absence from Monday’s event was incumbent Mayor Kenneth Welch, Crist’s chief rival in the mayoral race. Asked whether St. Petersburg missed an opportunity to have its mayor represented at the museum, Crist declined to directly criticize Welch.
“I’ll let the mayor speak to his own schedule,” Crist responded.
However, he emphasized the importance of the Florida Holocaust Museum as a civic institution and suggested leaders should be present when communities ask for support.
“The Florida Holocaust Museum is one of our city’s most important institutions, and when its survivors ask their leaders to stand with them, St. Petersburg deserves to be in that room,” Crist said. “That’s the job – showing up, especially for a community that’s hurting.”
Crist said his attendance was not about politics or campaigning. “I didn’t go for myself,” he said. “I went because our neighbors asked. As mayor, I won’t need an invitation to stand up for this city’s people. I’ll already be there.”
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