DFA: Racist robocalls only “strengthens the people-powered movement behind Andrew Gillum”
Yesterday, a neo-nazi group aligned with Florida gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis launched racist robocalls featuring someone claiming to be Andrew Gillum, his inclusive populist opponent, speaking in "a black minstrel-style voice as jungle noises play in the background."
News of the robocalls follows a racism-tinged interview earlier in the week where DeSantis suggested that Florida would "monkey this up" by electing Gillum and revelations that DeSantis was a member of an openly racist facebook group.
Statement from Democracy for America Executive Director Charles Chamberlain on the impact of the right's bigoted attacks on Andrew Gillum:
"Ron DeSantis is running scared. That's why he launched his general election campaign with a racism-laced interview and why his Nazi backers picked up on his bigoted messaging and pushed out their vile robocalls.
"And, they should be scared.
"Andrew Gillum has not only built a grassroots movement that will make history this November, he has a multiracial, inclusive populist vision for Florida that will finally end the fringe right's death-grip on the Sunshine State.
"Yet what DeSantis and his bigoted supporters don't seem to understand is that every thinly-veiled, hate-fueled swipe they take only grows and strengthens the people-powered movement behind Andrew Gillum.
"The Black, brown, and white working families who call Florida home are hungry for new, visionary leadership and we are more committed than ever to helping them reject bigotry, hate, and division by electing Florida's first Black governor this November." -- Charles Chamberlain, Executive Director, Democracy for America