Martha’s Winery: Ritzy island that briefly took in migrants common with liberal elites, together with in media

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, R., despatched almost 50 migrants to the ritzy Massachusetts enclave of Martha’s Winery final week, he knew it might get numerous consideration resulting from its connections to the liberal elite.

Invoice and Hillary Clinton vacationed there within the Nineties whereas holding the White Home, and the Obamas now personal a $12 million property on the island. Others with properties there embrace singer James Taylor, who simply carried out at President Biden’s White Home celebration for the Inflation Discount Act, director Spike Lee and comic David Letterman, all sturdy Democratic Social gathering supporters.

When migrants arrived on the vaunted island on the course of DeSantis – a potential 2024 Republican candidate who’s grow to be a pointy mutual antagonist of liberal media shops – the media outcry was predictable.

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough famous Hillary Clinton’s affection for Martha’s Winery when introducing her on this system Friday, saying, “Let’s discuss in regards to the information of the day first. And a spot that and love very, very a lot, Martha’s Winery.” Like different media figures, he praised the city’s denizens for his or her conduct towards the migrants, and he condemned what he referred to as “human trafficking” by DeSantis.

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leaving ABC studios after a current look on “The View.” 
(Elder Ordonez / SplashNews.com)

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“What occurs? The doorways of the church buildings fly open. The doorways of the group halls fly open, and the individuals of Martha’s Winery are so grateful to have the ability to lend a serving to hand,” Scarborough stated.

CNN reported in 2016, shortly earlier than Clinton’s presidential election defeat, that Martha’s Winery residents hoped she would spend a part of her summer time holidays there if she gained the White Home, given how she and her husband frequented the place when he was president. Jackie Kennedy Onassis owned an property there, and the notorious Chappaquiddick incident with Ted Kennedy, when his feminine passenger drowned after he drove his automobile right into a pond, occurred on an island accessible from Martha’s Winery. 

It additionally has its share of liberal media connections.

Whereas criticizing DeSantis on “CBS Mornings” final week, CBS host Gayle King – a pal of the Obamas, maybe Martha’s Winery’s most well-known part-time residents – famous she’d been there “many occasions.”

“I have been to Martha’s Winery many occasions,” King stated. “It is an ideal, excellent place. However not less than give individuals some discover to allow them to put together.”

CBS host Gayle King famous her many visits to Martha’s Winery whereas protecting the migrant state of affairs there.
(Photograph by Michele Crowe/CBS by way of Getty Pictures)

“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin referred to as Martha’s Winery her “glad place” final week and famous its particular connection for her household.

“Martha’s Winery is my glad place, it’s my dwelling away from dwelling, I spend the summer time there, I wrote a ebook, ‘Summer season on the Bluffs.’ It’s a lovely place, and I’m glad they’re there as a result of it’s a spot that traditionally has allowed individuals from different locations,” she stated. “Black individuals, it was the one place in our nation, one in all three, that allowed Black individuals within the late 1800’s to personal property and beachfront property. So, welcome to Martha’s Winery.”

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Former ABC Information anchor Diane Sawyer additionally owns an property on Martha’s Winery, and Washington Submit writer Katherine Graham, who died in 2001, had one as nicely. Journalist Mike Wallace additionally bought property on Martha’s Winery.

The episode has as soon as once more uncovered the large schism within the nation in relation to immigration regulation. 

DeSantis’ transfer has generated appreciable controversy, with some liberal media members and Democrats fuming he needs to be prosecuted for human trafficking and kidnapping. Conservatives have shot again that the response to the migrants underscores Democrats not taking the border disaster critically till migrants confirmed up at their very own doorways, relatively than south Texas cities.

“Florida isn’t a sanctuary state. We’ll proceed to facilitate a program to help the transportation of unlawful immigrants to sanctuary cities and states throughout the nation,” DeSantis spokesperson Taryn Fenske advised ” media” final week.

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The responsibility of caring for the principally Venezuelan nationals now falls on the Massachusetts Nationwide Guard on the mainland. The migrants have been shipped by bus and ferry to Cape Cod on Friday morning. About 55.5% of the properties on Martha’s Winery are trip properties — the best fee in the whole nation, in accordance with a 2019 report by the Nationwide Affiliation of Realtors. 

Liberal media shops have fawned over Martha’s Winery residents for the way they handled the migrants upon their arrival, though they spent lower than two days on the idyllic island.

“What occurred, as a substitute, was that residents of Martha’s Winery rallied to offer meals, shelter, clothes and providers. The asylum seekers at the moment are on their technique to Cape Cod, to obtain additional help. The stunt didn’t make its supposed level,” New York Occasions columnist Jamele Bouie wrote.

“DeSantis Tries to Show Liberals Hate Immigrants As A lot As He Does, Fails,” stated the headline for Jonathan Chait’s New York journal article, likening the transfer by DeSantis to the actions of the White Residents Councils within the Nineteen Sixties. 

CNN story on the Martha’s Winery migrants state of affairs.

“Martha’s Winery had not been anticipating them however a small military of activists mobilized to assist individuals who had grow to be pawns within the contentious debate over America’s damaged immigration system,” CNN’s Ray Sanchez wrote.

Far-left MSNBC host Pleasure Reid additionally boasted about Martha’s Winery’s response to the migrants, arguing that the little island was the place to seek out “Christian love,” and left-wing CBS “Late Evening” host Stephen Colbert quipped that DeSantis had solely confirmed how compassionate the islanders have been.

“Yeah, Desantis owned these libs by making them look compassionate,” Colbert sarcastically quipped. “Identical to that cuck Jesus. Ship that man a truckload of lepers, see how he likes it.”

DeSantis’ “stunt” could have gained him no followers within the press, however that appears to have been his level, judging by his remarks.

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“There have been extra Acela company journalists in Martha’s Winery at present than have ever gone right down to the Southern border to take a look at what is going on on,” he stated final week.

Fox Information’ Kerry J. Byrne and Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.