The U.S. Senate race in Florida took an apparently violent turn last week according to newly surfaced video that appears to show contracted security for Democrat Rep. Val Demings shoving a man to the ground outside of a campaign event for Demings in Brevard County. Now, the sheriff is investigating the incident.
According to reporting from Florida Politics, video shows two people pushing the man at an August 6 event in Mims, Florida at a public park:
Based on dialogue captured on the video, the individual appeared to be a video tracker who regularly follows the campaign. One clip shows two security guards, one of whom shouts "don't do it," before the man is pushed down to the ground on the street. Another security staffer then says, You can't get up. Stay down."
"What are you doing?" the man pushed to the ground asks. Clearly surprised, he uses an expletive as he again questions why guards are taking such action.
Being a campaign tracker is a notoriously thankless and brutal gig, but one that's important to catching what candidates say when they're not in front of broadcast cameras or caught off-guard by a crowd member's question. They often expose pointless pandering or a candidate's lack of knowledge on a given subject, and they are the basis for many a campaign ad from opponents based on a soundbite or awkward reaction.
When reached for comment by Florida Politics, Demings' campaign backed up the security guards' actions saying "security officials take potential threats and threatening behavior toward the Chief seriously." Christian Slater, the Demings campaign's communications director characterized the situation as an individual that "did not respond to multiple requests to leave and charged at security personnel in pursuit of Chief Demings' approaching vehicle."
Another video obtained by Florida Politics "appears to capture the man who was tackled to the ground conversing with" the security guards reportedly employed by Ardent Security and contracted by Demings' campaign, saying:
Ardent Security: "In corrections I used to balance people like you off their head in the jail."
Pushed man: "Except for I don't do bad things. I'm not one of those people, I'm just doing my job,. That's it. I've been good to you guys."
Ardent: "Don't touch me. Oh my God."
Man: "I've been so good, and y'all are just being ridiculous sometimes. I just want to be even keel."
Ardent: "Let's be even keel right now. So don't take it personal, alright."
Man: "No, I'm not. Everything that just happened, we're good."
Ardent: "Moving forward don't take it personal."
Man: "Take what personal?"
Ardent: "What's going to happen to you."
According to the report, the apparent tracker shoved to the ground was treated at the hospital for "relatively minor scrapes and bruises."
The irony that Demings — who called Minneapolis radicals' plan to abolish its police department "very thoughtful" — would employ apparently very proactive private security for her events in public places is peak Democrat hypocrisy.
Demings wants to feel safe when she pops up in Florida for campaign events yet thought was fine for Minneapolis to get rid of its police officers? As a former police chief, no less? It apparently doesn't strike Demings as ironic that she supports defunding police departments but still enjoys having private security toss campaign trackers to the asphalt. This is what happens when Democrats lurch so far to the left that logic and reality get tossed out the window like Demings was from then-candidate Joe Biden's veepstakes.