Tallahassee Mayor and Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum (D) likened President Donald to a “pig” on Monday evening after Trump again called Gillum a “stone-cold thief” who will turn “Florida into Venezuela.”
Speaking to Fox News host Laura Ingraham, Trump said he did not even think Gillum, whose administration is facing an FBI corruption probe, “should be allowed to continue on with the race.”
“Well, the FBI offered him tickets at $1,800 apiece and he took ‘em,” Trump said, referring to the extremely expensive Hamilton tickets Gillum obtained. “He took a trip with the same FBI agent. I guess he was posing as a developer or something. The man stone-cold took this stuff. I don’t even think he should be allowed to continue on with the race.”
Gillum–who is in a tight race against Republican Ron DeSantis in one of the most important gubernatorial contests of 2018 that will have huge 2020 implications–fired back on Twitter after Trump’s interview aired, asking Floridians to ignore Trump.
I heard @realDonaldTrump ran home to @FoxNews to lie about me. But as my grandmother told me — never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty, but the pig likes it. So ignore him and vote, Florida!
— Andrew Gillum (@AndrewGillum) October 30, 2018
“I heard @realDonaldTrump ran home to @FoxNews to lie about me. But as my grandmother told me — never wrestle with a pig,” Gillum tweeted. “ You both get dirty, but the pig likes it. So ignore him and vote, Florida!
Trump added in the interview that Tallahassee “is known as the most corrupt” city in Florida and marveled that Gillum was “close to being tied” with DeSantis.
“He’s a disaster and how’s he’s even close to being tied is hard to believe,” Trump said. “If Florida has a governor like that… Florida will become Venezuela.”
Trump asked voters to look at Gillum’s record and the “job he’s done as mayor of Tallahassee.”
“He’s a total disaster,” Trump said. “He’s a thief. How can you have a guy like this?”
Earlier in the day, after Trump called Gillum a “thief” on Twitter, Gillum fired back and said Trump did not have “the courage to @“ him, adding that Trump is “howling because he’s weak.”
On Twitter there is a choice between having the courage to @ the person you are trash talking, or not. @realDonaldTrump is howling because he's weak. Florida, go vote today. https://t.co/I8uOokptJA
— Andrew Gillum (@AndrewGillum) October 29, 2018
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