Nikki Fried, Florida Democrats want Republicans to account for Donald Trump, white supremacists
Image via AP

Trump rally
Republicans have been quiet on debate thus far.

In the wake of President Donald Trump failing to denounce white supremacist supporters in Tuesday night’s debate with Joe Biden, Florida Democrats, including the sole statewide electee, want answers from Republicans.

Florida Democratic Party head Terrie Rizzo on Wednesday afternoon urged Republicans to address the presidential provocations.

“The Florida Democratic Party denounces white supremacy in all its forms. Yesterday, President Donald Trump refused to denounce white supremacy on national television,” Rizzo said. “The Republican Party’s sole platform this year is to re-elect Donald Trump, and if Florida Republicans don’t actively stand up to condemn white supremacy and ask the leader of their party to unequivocally do the same, we can only assume they condone this behavior.

Prior to that, Florida’s Democratic Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services on Wednesday called on Republicans in the Florida Cabinet to “account for” where the President stands on white supremacy.

Nikki Fried, who has been a staunch Biden supporter, pilloried the President for calling on the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” during an exchange with Biden about right-wing extremism.

“Last night’s debate represents one of the lowest moments in history for an American President. As the nation watched, Donald Trump’s complete failure to condemn white supremacy renders him further unfit for office,” Fried, who is exploring a run for Governor in 2022, asserted.

“Trump’s use of coded language in asking white supremacist terrorists to ‘stand by’ opens a dangerous new chapter in his desperation to retain power by any means. There is only one acceptable answer: white supremacy is a cancer on America, is a domestic terrorism threat to law and order, and must be denounced by every leader across our land.”

Every leader in the land, Fried noted, including her Cabinet compatriots.

“That includes Florida’s Republican Governor, Attorney General, and Chief Financial Officer, as my fellow Cabinet members. They must be asked to account for where the leader of their party and the leader of our nation stands on white supremacy and its corrosive effects on our democracy.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, and CFO Jimmy Patronis have all unambiguously backed the President, yet none of them have offered public commentary yet on the President’s performance against former Vice President Biden in the first of three presidential debates.

Tuesday night’s proceedings were raucous, and the non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates is exploring changes to the debate format going forward in the wake of the anarchic 90-minute session.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has written for FloridaPolitics.com since 2014. He is based in Northeast Florida. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


5 comments

  • Sonja Fitch

    September 30, 2020 at 4:46 pm

    Will you shut up,man? Vote Democrat up and down ballot!

  • James Robert Miles

    September 30, 2020 at 8:39 pm

    Accountability is NOT a Republican virtue! Like Trump, they take responsibility for NOTHING!! VOTE HIM OUT, LOCK HIM UP!! DUMP TRUMP 2020!! Return sanity to America!

  • W. Scott Hannon

    October 1, 2020 at 11:21 am

    Oh, I think there will be retribution to any incumbent Republican candidate on the national and state ballots who has not come out against how Trump handles himself and uses dog whistle remarks to incite his base. Notice I didn’t say against Trump in toto, but for his lack of morality. I don’t expect them to rail against their candidate, but when it comes down to what’s right, if they have sat silently by when there’s a clear answer that needs to be provided (“are you against white supremacists?”), then they’ll pay a price with their seats. The Republicans have for too long sat idly by – out of fear – while Trump has acted in a way that is not presidential, but also not moral. Stand back and stand by for some accountability come Nov. 4th.

  • Steve emerson

    October 1, 2020 at 3:28 pm

    What nonsense. I heard him denounce white supremacy during the debate. I’ve heard him do it 100 times before. The problem is that a democrat controlled left leaning press won’t report it which is why journalist should seek ethical training from prostitutes who are inherently more moral. You are a left wing rag nothing more

  • twana jones

    October 1, 2020 at 6:10 pm

    When you are losing play the RACE Card . Democrats are finished and this provesit. Trump 2020

Comments are closed.


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