Giants president calls out Arizona politician who mocked death of George Floyd

Scottsdale city council member Guy Phillips has faced intense criticism after making light of police brutality during an anti-mask rally this week. And the list of critics included San Francisco Giants president Farhan Zaidi, who did not mince words in his response to Phillips.

"I mean, f--k that guy," Zaidi told The Athletic. "You can quote me on that. F--k that guy."

During the rally, Phillips repeatedly said "I can't breathe" in reference to wearing his mask, which were the last words George Floyd said before he died in police custody. His comments were immediately labeled as incredibly sensitive and he issued an apology for what he said.

"It was a stupid and insensitive comment that I shouldn’t have made, and I had no intention of disrespecting anybody while making that comment," Phillips said.

However, the apology has not convinced most people that he had 'no intention of disrespecting anybody', including Zaidi.

"I think anyone would have difficulty getting beyond the abhorrent insensitivity of his statement," Zaidi said. "But even if you can get beyond that — the fact that this guy is condoning behavior that put our staff and players at risk? Like, seriously. F--k that guy. I can’t believe that that guy is a public official in this country. It’s unbelievable."

The Giants spring training complex is located in Scottsdale and several Giants players have stayed in the area after the COVID-19 pandemic shut MLB operations down in March. Knowing that someone like Phillips holds a position of power was a terrifying prospect for Zaidi.