In America, we have long held to a sacred belief: that every person, no matter their background, race, or political views, deserves fair and equal treatment under the law. This is not just a legal principle. It is a moral one, rooted in our Christian values and the traditions that built this great nation. That belief is now under attack.
This week, a nurse in Florida crossed a dangerous line. Erik Martindale, a male nurse and anesthesiologist, publicly declared that he would refuse to provide care to supporters of President Donald Trump and the Make America Great Again movement. He didn’t whisper it in secret. He wrote it proudly on his Facebook page for all to see. “I will not perform anesthesia for any surgeries or procedures for MAGA,” he said. He even claimed it was his “ethical oath” to deny care and said he could do so because he owns his own business.
Let us be clear: this is not just unprofessional conduct. It is a direct attack on the dignity and safety of millions of Americans. It is an act of political hatred, dressed up as virtue. And it should not be tolerated in a nation that claims to protect freedom and equal rights.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier responded swiftly, alerting the Florida Board of Nursing and signaling that this matter deserves serious attention. And rightly so. Nurses and doctors take an oath to do no harm and to serve all patients with care and compassion, regardless of who they voted for. When a nurse says he will withhold anesthesia—the very thing that keeps people safe and stable during surgery—because he does not like their politics, he is not only betraying his duty. He is endangering lives.
The situation is made worse by Martindale’s later claim that his account was “hacked.” This is a common excuse used when someone realizes they have gone too far and now face consequences. But the damage is already done. Trust has been broken. And in the medical field, trust is everything.
This is not an isolated case, either. Earlier in the week, another nurse in Florida was fired after making disturbing, graphic comments about a conservative woman. Once again, hatred for conservative values and Trump supporters spilled out into the open—and once again, it came from a person who is supposed to provide care and healing.
These incidents raise a troubling question: how many more medical professionals secretly harbor this kind of hatred? How many are sitting in hospitals and clinics across the country, ready to let their personal politics decide who gets care and who does not?
We must demand better. Not just from individuals, but from the systems that train, license, and oversee our medical professionals. The Florida Board of Nursing must take a strong stand. If a nurse publicly says he will deny care based on politics, he must be held accountable. No excuses. No hiding behind the idea of business ownership or “hacked” accounts.
This is about more than one nurse. This is about the kind of country we want to be. Do we want a nation where people are judged by their beliefs and punished for voting the wrong way? Or do we want to return to a time when Americans treated each other with dignity, regardless of political disagreement?
President Trump stands for law and order, for fairness, and for returning America to its roots. That includes restoring respect in our public institutions. We need leaders who are not afraid to call out this kind of behavior and stop it before it spreads.
Let this be a wake-up call. We must protect the health and safety of all Americans—not just those with the “right” opinions. Political discrimination has no place in our hospitals. And those who wear the uniform of a nurse or doctor must never forget the sacred duty they have to all of us.
