IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Miami officer facing discipline after wearing Trump mask while in uniform at polling place

The officer violated department policy on wearing political signage while in uniform, the Miami mayor said Tuesday.

A Miami officer is facing disciplinary action after he was photographed wearing a "Trump 2020" face mask while in uniform in a polling place.

The photograph was shared on Tuesday by Steve Simeonidis, the chairman of Miami-Dade Democrats, who accused the officer in a tweet of voter intimidation while inside the Stephen P. Clark Government Center in Downtown Miami.

A Miami police officer wearing a Trump campaign mask.
A Miami police officer wearing a Trump campaign mask.Steve Simeonidis via Twitter

The officer in the photo was wearing a name tag that read Ubeda, but officials have not named him and NBC News has not been able to independently verify his identity.

City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said the officer was in line to vote and he violated departmental policy by wearing political signage while in uniform.

The mayor did not speak to whether it crossed the line into voter intimidation as Simeonidis accused in his tweet.

“It’s inappropriate, it’s against departmental orders,” Suarez said Tuesday. “Police officers are supposed to be impartial, so irrespective of who the person was, whatever sign it would have been, it would have been problematic.”

It’s unclear whether he was on duty, but officers are permitted to vote while in uniform, Suarez said. They are also allowed to carry their department-issued firearms while voting, the mayor said.

The officer will be disciplined, but the mayor did not specify how as the incident is still being investigated.

“One important fact is that the officer was voting,” Suarez said. “Had he not been voting it would have been a much more serious situation.”

The Miami Fraternal Order of Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News.