The mayor of Denver apologized for flying to Mississippi to join his family for Thanksgiving after publicly calling for others not to travel amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic.
Michael Hancock, who had previously sent out a tweet recommending people to stay home for the holiday and avoid unnecessary travel, was slammed for his decision to fly to Mississippi this week.
However, Hancock acknowledged the contradiction, saying that his daughter and wife were in Mississippi and that he was thinking with his heart.
“As the holiday approached, I decided it would be safer for me to travel to see them than to have two family members travel back to Denver,” Hancock said in a statement Wednesday. “I recognize that my decision has disappointed many who believe it would have been better to spend Thanksgiving alone. As a public official, whose conduct is rightly scrutinized for the message it sends to others, I apologize to the residents of Denver who see my decision as conflicting with the guidance to stay at home for all but essential travel.
“I made my decision as a husband and father, and for those who are angry and disappointed, I humbly ask you to forgive decisions that are borne of my heart and not my head,” he said.