Anti-Gun FL Ag Commissioner Fundraises Off Trump's Comments

Nikki Fried is in an odd position. She’s the highest-ranking Democrat in the state of Florida. She’s also pretty anti-Second Amendment, which is where the odd position comes in. After all, as the state Agriculture Commissioner, she’s responsible for issuing concealed carry permits in the state.

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While state law limits her ability to actually do anything about that fact, it hasn’t stopped her from trying. In particular, she tried to use COVID-19 as an excuse to shut down the state’s online permit renewal site. That sparked a lawsuit.

Fried’s actions were inexcusable. As a result, she was recently denounced by President Donald Trump.

Now, she’s using that denunciation for fundraising purposes.

Nikki Fried, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, had a limited speaking role Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention.

But the first-term member of the Florida Cabinet is making it count, especially in light of President Donald Trump‘s denunciation of her and other speakers in a tandem “keynote speech” featuring other rising figures in the party.

Trump took task with what he called the “radical 17,” saying they held “far-left positions that are well outside of the mainstream.”

Fried, the President claimed, is a gun-grabber just like the Democratic nominee.

She “opposes Second Amendment rights. It’s no wonder she supports Joe Biden, who says he will come for Americans’ guns,” the President blogged.

Which, of course, is true.

I mean, we can see the evidence right there. There was no reason to shut down the operations she did. She used COVID-19 as an excuse and everyone knows it, even her allies. They just agree with her.

So now, Fried is trying to collect on her new notoriety.

The Commissioner’s response, delivered in the form of a fundraising pitch from her “Florida Consumers First” political committee, is that the President “attacked” her.

“It’s time to fight back. When Trump attacked me, he attacked all of us — can you give $20.00, $40.00, or $60.00 to help us defend against his childish insults?”

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I don’t blame her for trying to cash in. She’s going to need everything she can muster if she wants to remain in office.

However, it’s important to note that Trump took Florida in 2016. Additionally, Fried is the only Democrat for state-wide office who won. She needs to remember that she was campaigning against a terrible candidate and so many of her votes were votes against the other guy, not for her.

In other words, Florida is a very Republican state. Taking a hard anti-Trump stand may not be the best strategy for longevity in her office.

Sure, she’ll have the power of incumbency, but that only goes so far. Don’t be surprised if Fried ends up looking for a job come January regardless of how well her fundraising efforts go.

The truth is, she’s an anti-gun jihadist who is in charge of a state’s carry permit system. We had to know she’d try to find some way to interfere with people’s right to keep and bear arms and she’s done everything she can think of.

The president was right to call her out.

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