Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, “I am very happy to have the full and enthusiastic support of Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida. We had a great meeting yesterday, arranged by mutual friend Steve Witkoff, at his beautiful Shell Bay Club in Hollywood, Florida. The conversation mostly concerned how we would work closely together to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. Also discussed was the future of Florida, which is FANTASTIC! I greatly appreciate Ron’s support in taking back our Country from the Worst President in the History of the United States. November 5th is a BIG DAY!!!”
Representative Matt Gaetz has received a primary challenge for his Florida congressional district just before the filing deadline, and he’s not happy about it. Aaron Dimmock, a former naval aviator, has filed to challenge Gaetz in the August 20 Republican primary. Gaetz took to Twitter/X to express his displeasure, claiming that Dimmock is a “puppet” candidate, orchestrated by former Representative Kevin McCarthy.
Gaetz’s tweet suggested that McCarthy might be behind Dimmock’s candidacy as part of a retaliatory move. He said he knew McCarthy would have someone run against him but did not expect it to be someone he referred to as a “Woke Toby Flenderson,” referencing a character from the TV series “The Office.”
Gaetz has had a turbulent relationship with McCarthy. The Florida congressman played a significant role in McCarthy’s ouster as Speaker of the House in October, which McCarthy claimed was due to his refusal to block an ethics complaint against Gaetz over allegations that he had inappropriate relations with a teenager.
The Daily Caller, a right-wing news outlet, reported that Dimmock’s LinkedIn page revealed that he had previously supported Black Lives Matter and promoted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). This prompted Gaetz’s comparison to Toby Flenderson, suggesting that Dimmock’s views are more aligned with progressive ideologies.
The Daily Caller also noted that both Dimmock and McCarthy share a connection through a treasurer with American Patriots PAC, a group founded by allies of former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. This adds another layer to Gaetz’s assertion that his primary challenger is part of a broader effort by McCarthy’s allies to undermine him.
Meet @aaronwdimmock – the BLM supporting DEI instructor running against me in the Republican Primary.
I knew former Representative McCarthy would be getting a puppet of his to run.
I didn’t know it would be a Woke Toby Flenderson!https://t.co/cznlgPIs5g
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) April 29, 2024
