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.
It really helps (me) to read past the headlines. I was all fired up to blast the staffer for being stupid enough to tweet something like this knowing this race is under a micrscope until I read the article to find it was before he was hired. Not saying what he did was right but he did not represent the campaign then.
Wow. A mature response; taking responsibilty, apologizing, not using an excuse like “I went to Yale”. But of couse, the right wingers have their scalp. Hope they’re happy. I guess it’s time to start digging up more past tweets.
Note to Bret, This is how one deals with “youthful indiscreations.”
Removal from office would be sufficient regarding trump.
Hey, boys will be boys, amirite? And I prefer cancer and heart disease to seal Trump’s fate…
They are happy - very happy.
“I took social media for granted when I was younger and I am now facing the consequences,” he said.
What does taking “social media for granted” mean? Why was he even commenting on Trump in 2012-2013?