Screenshot via X/@j_fishback
Audio By Carbonatix
Far-right Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback is continuing his racist attacks against his opponent and GOP frontrunner Rep. Byron Donalds.
On Wednesday, a woman posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, a photo of two men from the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity Action door-knocking for Donalds. The photo shows a Black man holding a Donalds flyer standing beside a white man with long hair and an overgrown beard.
In response to the tweet, Fishback seemingly used AI to replace the white man with a rifle-toting Black man bearing a resemblance to the late George Floyd, whose killing by Minneapolis police officers ignited racial justice protests in 2020.
“Impressive door knockers for By’rone!” Fishback wrote. “Great work fellas.”
The woman who posted the original photo shared a post from Skylar Zander, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Florida, accusing Fishback of “utilizing hate to earn social media views.”
In a phone call with New Times, Fishback admonishes Donalds’ staffers and volunteers for dressing unprofessionally. He says the photo was not of Floyd but refuses to reveal what he input into the AI model.
“That is between me and AI,” he quips.
He rejects any notion that the tweet and photo are racist, asking “what is racist about a Black man holding gun?”, though he acknowledges he is “trolling my way to the governor’s mansion.”
Since launching his long-shot governor’s campaign, the 31-year-old has used racist rhetoric aimed at Donalds. He has called Donalds, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, “By’rone,” and a slave to his “donors,” “corporate interests,” and “tech bros.” He has also referred to Donalds as a “token Black” in Congress who wants to turn Florida into a “Section 8 ghetto.”
“Byron Donalds is a SLAVE who was auctioned off for $31 million,” Fishback wrote on X in December. “He only wants to please his corporate masters. I’m running for Governor to make Florida more affordable for working families, students, and seniors.”
Last month, Fishback posted a video of himself shooting an assault rifle, demanding Donalds to “pull up” to prove that he is “actually Black.”
The Donalds campaign has not responded to New Times‘ request for comment regarding Fishback’s tweet.
The 31-year-old and Broward County native, who has raised just $22,000 in campaign funds as of December, according to campaign finance records, faced sexual misconduct allegations over an alleged inappropriate relationship with a student in his debate organization, which hosts debate tournaments and workshops across Florida. Fishbacks denies the allegations.
Broward County Public Schools said the district ended its relationship with Fishback after receiving an email about the allegations in September 2022. Broward Schools chief of staff John Sullivan said at the time, the district was already concerned about “Fishback’s failure to follow district safeguards and protocols, including contacting students directly.”
“As a result of our experience, the District revoked his ability to volunteer or be left alone with our students,” Sullivan said in a statement.
