Gillum Staffer Fired For Tweet Calling For Trump's Execution

[DonViejo]

By Allegra Kirkland
October 1, 2018 10:35 am

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.

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https://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/gillum-staffer-fired-trump-execution-tweet

[grumpyduck]

1. Did somebody pay him to do that?

Hmmmmm?????

[Dr Hobbitstein]

3. Paid him to tweet that is 2012/2013? nt

[Girard442]

2. If he's 24 and the bad behavior happened in 2012-2013, that would put him in his late teens then.

Yeah, definitely SCOTUS material.

[peekaloo]

4. Be curious to see if DeSantis jumps on this as he is trying to distance himself

from Trump.

[helpisontheway]

6. How can he distance himself from Trump?

He put his baby in the freaking commercial with all that MAGA crap.

[peekaloo]

10. he's not asking Trump for campaign help.

because those commercials are hurting him with Independents so now he wants to be the savior of our environment.

now he's courting the Little League vote!

[helpisontheway]

11. Now that is funny! Just ignore those commercials that played for months..😂😂😂😂nt

[grumpyduck]

5. See, that's what happens when you read selectively.

I fell for it. Missed the part about 2012-2013. Oops.

[gratuitous]

7. Orozco-Ballestas, being held responsible for what he did when he was 17 or 18

No parallels should be drawn between a campaign staffer and a nominee for the Supreme Court. One of those positions is Very Important, and only individuals of the highest moral character and cleanest reputation should occupy it. The other is only a Justice.

[IluvPitties]

8. Republicans will try to go as back as possible from now on.

[pretzel4gore]

9. the kid hit the nail on the head

being rhetorical about murder aint good idea but- the nazipoohs have basically destroyed the future, no way to accrue a majority for effective governance cuz fascists have poisoned the well so bad only some version of political thug can ever suckseed, meaning the game's up. I betchca the fascists have known this since Goldwater, when they began systemically hiding of truth and indeed making idea there is a truth worth considering preposterous...
and we shoulda started with the reagan criminals, before vast numbers of trumpotus goofs even born

[JI7]

12. trump called for the execution of innocent black guys

bring that up (and so many other things) if anyone tries to attack gillum over this.

[yardwork]

13. I think that bringing up Kavanaugh is effective, too.

[JI7]

14. yup

[pintobean]

15. He wasn't fired for his old tweets

He was fired for wearing the shirt that includes Florida as part of "Dumfuckistan"

You can't be running for Governor and have a staff member calling the citizens of the state dumb fucks.