Denver Mayor Hancock Says He Regrets Traveling For Thanksgiving

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock caused a stir last week when word got out that he was flying to Mississippi to see his wife and daughter over the Thanksgiving holiday, after weeks of telling Coloradans to stay home.

The morning of his flight, he even tweeted urging Denverites to stay home due to the surge in coronavirus cases in Colorado.

Now, he's eating crow.

9News held a virtual interview with Mayor Hancock, who is now quarantining, where he said "it was hypocritical, it was a mistake that I deeply regret and deeply apologize for". Apparently, Hancock didn't want to let his daughter down on the holiday after she took a job in Mississippi, though she recently told him she would have understood, given the circumstances, if he had decided to cancel.

Mayor Hancock also released a statement after his travel plans were leaked that read:

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.

The mayor will continue to urge Denver to follow guidelines put in place by local government, and hopefully won't board a plane for a while into the foreseeable future.