Trump Calls Andrew Gillum a ‘Thief,’ Elevating Temperature in Sizzling Florida Governor’s Race

President Donald Trump is labeling Florida Democratic candidate for governor Andrew Gillum “a thief” forward of a pair of rallies he is scheduled to carry within the state later this week for Republican candidate Ron DeSantis.

The president’s infiltration into the extremely contested gubernatorial marketing campaign is simply heightening the racial tensions round a contest that is been suffused with blatantly bigoted assaults and subtler innuendo. Gillum, who has led in most polls, is trying to change into Florida’s first African-American governor.

Trump made the accusation twice within the final day, first taking to Twitter to name DeSantis’ opponent “a Dem who’s a thief and who’s mayor of poorly run Tallahassee, mentioned to be some of the corrupt cities within the nation.”

During an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham on Monday night time, Trump defined he used the time period attributable to an FBI investigation into town of Tallahassee.

“Well, the FBI supplied him tickets at $1,800 a chunk and he took them. He took a visit with the identical FBI agent – I suppose he was posing as a developer or one thing. The man stone chilly took these items. I do not even suppose he ought to be allowed to proceed on with the race,” Trump mentioned.

Gillum, the mayor of Tallahassee, has not been charged with any crime and has mentioned the FBI has informed him he isn’t a goal of their investigation into improvement practices in his metropolis.

But disclosures from an lawyer to a lobbyist and former shut confidante of Gillum have proven that Gillum apparently accepted a number of presents, together with tickets to the Broadway present “Hamilton” and catering for a political fundraiser, from an undercover FBI agent through the tried sting. There’s additionally a discrepancy over whether or not Gillum totally paid for a visit to a luxurious resort in Costa Rica with the lobbyist and the brokers, the episode Trump was apparently referring to.

Gillum has responded to Trump by calling him “weak” and following the president’s look on Fox News took one other shot.

“As my grandmother informed me – by no means wrestle with a pig. You each get soiled, however the pig likes it,” Gillum wrote on Twitter. “So ignore him and vote, Florida!”

Trump is scheduled to rally for DeSantis on Wednesday in Fort Myers and on Saturday in Pensacola, the place he is anticipated to degree extra broadsides in opposition to Gillum.