A staffer for Democratic Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum was dismissed over the weekend after he published social media messages he shared disparaging President Trump and GOP voters.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that Manny Orozco-Ballestas was fired as Gillum’s youth director after several offensive tweets—including one claiming that Trump needs “to be executed”—surfaced. Orozco-Ballestas also took heat for a 2017 Instagram photo of him wearing a shirt labeling the states that voted for Trump “Dumbfuckistan.”
Infowars blogger Jacob Engels circulated the messages shared by the 24-year-old staffer, which dated back to 2012 and 2013.
In a statement provided to the newspaper, Gillum spokesperson Joshua Karp said, “The type of language this young man used on social media before his employment with our campaign is unacceptable and he will no longer be working with the campaign.”
Orozco-Ballestas released his own statement apologizing for the messages’ content.
“I took social media for granted when I was younger and I am now facing the consequences,” he said. “I’m so sorry to all those I let down, especially Mayor Gillum and my team. What I tweeted as an immature student many years ago is not a reflection of the man I am today.”
Gillum is running in a tight race against Trump ally Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), and has consistently led in the polls.