Agriculture Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate Nikki Fried has come out swinging after announcing her 2022 run for governor, taking shots a both her Democratic primary opponent Rep. Charlie Crist and her potential general election opponent, Gov. Ron DeSantis.
During an appearance on MSNBC, Commissioner Fried dressed down the career politician Rep. Crist, saying that 'His time in statewide elected office has come and gone" and pressed her newly-minted "Something New" campaign slogan.
Fried then took aim at Gov. DeSantis after he was asked to respond to Fried's gubernatorial announcement. DeSantis stated, "She does nothing, all she does is emote on social media. She's a lockdown lobbyist. I've done more in my first week as governor than she has in her entire time as AG commissioner."
DeSantis borrowed the "lockdown lobbyist" term from the Republican Party of Florida, who used the term in a political meme shortly after Fried announced her gubernatorial campaign.
"Obviously, we struck a nerve you know. If he said nothing I'd be more concerned," quipped Fried. "It's part of unfortunately his MO is to yell and scream and have temper tantrums."
Fried then went on to say that her work as Agriculture Commissioner was "going to speak to itself" and that because DeSantis was "unwilling to listen to anything" she has said or brought forth. Fried continued, saying that she wasn't surprised that the governor was not aware of her accomplishments as agriculture commissioner.
"We've done some tremendous things inside the Department of Agriculture, but because he has been unwilling to listen to anything that I have been asking for and bringing forth," said Fried. "I'm not surprised that he doesn't know what we've done but you know it's again the same MO of governor trying to belittle people and trying to be that the big man in the room
Asked last month about primary opponents, @CharlieCrist tells @DeFede: “I’m not here to knock anybody down. I’m here to offer the people a choice.”
Asked last night about Crist, @NikkiFried tells @JoyAnnReid: "His time in statewide elected office has come and gone."— Anthony Man (@browardpolitics) June 2, 2021
