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Fine beats Bilzerian in Florida primary marked by antisemitic attacks

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Republican Representative Randy Fine won his Florida primary against influencer Dan Bilzerian, a race marred by antisemitic rhetoric and personal attacks.
  • Bilzerian employed antisemitic tropes, including references to Adolf Hitler, while Fine accused Bilzerian of being a "Nazi" and orchestrating a "pogrom against the Jews."
  • Fine, endorsed by Donald Trump, faces criticism for past comments disparaging Muslims, while Bilzerian has a history of spreading conspiracy theories and making anti-Israel statements.

Republican Representative Randy Fine secured a decisive victory in his Florida primary Tuesday, defeating mega-influencer Dan Bilzerian in a contest dominated by inflammatory rhetoric and accusations of antisemitism. Fine, who is seeking his second term in Congress, garnered 56.7% of the vote, with Bilzerian receiving 18%. The race was marked by Bilzerian's use of antisemitic tropes, including allusions to Adolf Hitler and statements like "District 6 understands the Jewish problem."

District 6 understands the Jewish problem.

— Dan BilzerianBilzerian posted this statement on X/Twitter during the heated primary campaign.

Fine, endorsed by President Donald Trump, the Republican Jewish Coalition, and AIPAC, accused Bilzerian of being an "open Nazi" who targeted him. Fine described the campaign as an "organized pogrom against the Jews." However, Fine himself has faced bipartisan criticism for past remarks, including comparing Muslims to dogs and suggesting Gazans should "starve away" until Israeli hostages were released. He also drew anger from Armenian-American groups for questioning whether Armenians should serve in Congress, as Bilzerian is Armenian.

This isn’t an organic campaign. It’s an organized pogrom against the Jews.

— Randy FineFine accused Bilzerian and his supporters of orchestrating a targeted attack against him.

Bilzerian, who has spread conspiracy theories and expressed anti-Israel sentiments, including stating he wants to "kill Israelis," invoked Hitler in campaign materials. A campaign music video referenced the dictator with the lyrics, "Should we revisit that Austrian painter's opinions?" Bilzerian also questioned Fine's past comments about Muslims, asking if they were Islamophobic.

Should we revisit that Austrian painter’s opinions?

— Dan BilzerianThese lyrics appeared in a Bilzerian campaign music video, referencing Adolf Hitler.

Adding to the contentious atmosphere, a Fine campaign sign was recently defaced with a swastika, an act condemned by Jewish groups. Fine blamed Bilzerian's supporters, a charge Bilzerian denied, calling it "the most jew move of all time." In a separate race, Democratic Representative Lois Frankel, also Jewish, defeated Victoria Doyle in her primary, positioning her for a likely November victory.

Fine told Fox News Digital on Tuesday that Bilzerian is “an open Nazi who transported himself from Las Vegas to Florida in order to target me.”

— Randy FineFine directly accused Bilzerian of being a Nazi during the campaign.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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