Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback told a black man that he should be "lynched" following a heated exchange that has since gone viral on social media.
In the clip, the man asks Fishback about whether he had slept with a 17-year-old girl when he was 27. The man says that the girl testified to the relationship in a court proceeding. "So, Mr. Fishback, what's with you s----ing a 16 or 17-year-old? Can you answer about what's going on with that?" the man asks.
James Fishback tells a Black voter that he should be "lynched" after the man asked him about his history of dating minors. pic.twitter.com/0hcivZyc0k
— Justin (@JustinUSA) April 2, 2026
Raw Story reported that the man was apparently referencing Keniah Fort, a former employee of Fishback's nonprofit Incubate Debate. According to Florida Politics, the woman alleged Fishback had relationship with her when he was 27 and she was 17. Fort also made claims of cyberstalking in a petition for an order of protection that was ultimately denied by a judge.
"There was no evidence entered into the record to support that allegation, and I was fully exonerated of any wrongdoing in this case," Fishback told Florida Politics.
In the video, the man brings up the denied petition, saying, "She said it in court, before you ran for office!"
Eventually the man asks about what sexual positions Fishback and the woman engaged in leading Fishback to say, "I don't want you ever speaking about women in our state like that ever again."
"I mean, I don't want you ever s----ing girls, teenage girls, in our state ever again," the man retorted. "So promise me, never s---s a minor again?"
"Why haven't I been arrested?" Fishback replied. "Why haven't I been arrested? You should be lynched!"
Raw Story noted that Fishback has been trailing President Donald Trump's endorsed candidate for the Republican nomination for governor, Rep. Byron Donalds, R-FL, in polls.
