‘Gone Too Far’: Florida GOP Candidate Caught on Camera Telling a Black Man He ‘Should be Lynched,’ Then He Doubles Down
Florida GOP candidate James Fishback walked away with a smile on his face from an off-the-rails exchange where he told a Black man he “should be lynched” and then accused him of not being Black, video shows.
The political newcomer, now running for Florida governor, is no stranger to controversy. In 2022, he was accused of an inappropriate relationship with an underage student, which led Florida’s largest school district to sever ties with him.
When an unidentified Black man asked him to address those allegations at a recent GOP rally, Fishback appeared visibly flustered and responded with a nasty remark about lynching.
The heated exchange between the two men occurred with a crowd gathered around, as Fishback tried to dodge questions about his relationship with the minor. When asked why he hadn’t been arrested, Fishback replied, “What did the judge say at the end? He dismissed that. It was seven hours of testimony!” When the Black man referenced “smashing” and different sex positions, Fishback became more rattled, and the men went back and forth.
“I don’t want you ever speaking about women in our state like that again,” Fishback told him.
“I don’t want you ever smashing teenage girls in our state ever again,” the man responded. “So, promise me you’ll never smash a minor again.”
“You should be lynched!” shouted Fishback, pointing a finger. “You should be lynched for [talking] about me like that.”
When the Black man responded, “Lynch all pedophiles,” Fishback apparently saw an opportunity to shift the topic to Epstein, but the crowd wouldn’t let him. Someone shouted, “Why haven’t you been arrested?”
The case in question dates to 2022 and centered on a protection order filed by Keinah Fort against Fishback for harassment. It did not assess whether their relationship was inappropriate. The order was denied, and the judge concluded that Fishback did not harass her.
According to court records via NBC News and Florida Politics, Fort claimed that Fishback “initiated a romantic relationship” with her when she was 17 and working for his organization, Incubate Debate, which partnered with Florida schools to introduce debate programs to middle and high school students.
Fort told the court that Fishback pressured her to keep their relationship secret until she turned 18, when they moved in together and got engaged. She claimed that Fishback had a temper and threw objects several times, while Fishback maintained she had mental health issues, and he denied all wrongdoing.
Fishback has also faced criticism for race-baiting comments before.
In a Dec. 7 post on X, he called his opponent, Rep. Byron Donalds, a “slave” to his political donors. Donalds, who is backed by Trump, is currently the frontrunner in the gubernatorial race. In a follow-up interview, he claimed Donalds has no right to be offended because his ancestors were not enslaved in the U.S.
Viewers of the April 2 Instagram video were stunned by the lynching comment, saying he was “spreading hate” and “had gone too far,” but he still had one odd insult left before the confrontation ended.
He asked the man, “Why are you using the N-word? You’re not even Black,” and added, “Let me see the proof.”
“Let me see the proof you’re not a pedophile,” the man responded. “Let me see the proof you’re not a b*tch.”