U.S. Rep. Randy Fine, whose district includes all of Flagler County, attacked people who accused him of wanting to “nuke” Gaza as idiots and said those are probably from Gaza, where he claimed half the population is incestuously married and therefore prone to being idiots. Gaza’s population is 2 million.
Fine made the comments to Flagler Broadcasting’s Liz Ryan in a brief news clip WNZF has been broadcasting today, five days after he told Fox News that the Palestinians of Gaza should be treated the same way Germans and Japanese were treated in World War II. The Israeli war on Gaza has so far caused upward of 52,000 deaths, and significantly more according to a study by The Lancet, the British medical journal
“In World War Two, we did not negotiate a surrender with the Nazis,” Fine had said on May 22. “We did not negotiate a surrender with the Japanese. We nuked the Japanese twice in order to get unconditional surrender. That needs to be the same here.” Fine did not qualify his statement at the time.
Today, he said: “People claiming I said Israel should nuke Gaza are idiots. But remember, they may be from Gaza, and in Gaza, 50 percent of people are married to their cousins, so obviously they do have a lot of people who aren’t very smart.”
Fine’s original comments drew rebukes by Americans in the American press, though not widely, and have been reported in the Times of Israel. His statement that half the people of Gaza–an enclave the size of Bunnell–are married to their cousins is false, and mirrors a mounting record of racist and degrading statements Fine has been making about Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims simultaneously with claims that critics of Israel or Israel’s war in Gaza are anti-Semitic.
The American Conservative magazine has called for his resignation or for his colleagues to oust him from Congress. The Council on American-Islamic Relations said his May 22 statement “represents one of the most dangerous and dehumanizing remarks ever made by a sitting member of Congress and marks an escalation of Fine’s long-standing pattern of inciting violence and bigotry.”
He was not challenged during the Flagler Broadcasting interview, which was the first of two. Ryan is to speak with Fine “about his Preventing Anti-Semitic Harassment on Campus Act.” Asked whether Ryan intends to challenge Fine’s claims or his anti-Arab bigotry, David Ayres, the station’s president, said “it was a news story, not a debate, not our opinion, straight-out news, that’s why we put their voices on there without us telling people what somebody said. I think people are smart enough to figure out Randy Fine.”
In the radio report, he appeared to walk back the comments he’d made last week, repeating them in their essence: “When we fought evil in World War Two, we didn’t go, boo hoo hoo. The Germans are suffering. Let’s cut a deal. We didn’t say to the Japanese, oh no, you’re suffering. Let’s cut a deal. No, we nuked them twice in order to get them to unconditionally surrender. And Gaza is a situation no different. So Israel needs to do what is necessary in order to win the war.” (Germany was not nuked before it surrendered, though the bombing of its cities was in several cases more devastating than the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Israel, a nuclear power, is believed to have a stockpile of some 90 warheads, according to the Arms Control Association.)
The news clip referred to Tucker Carlson saying Fine should “get the help he needs,” prompting Fine to tell WNZF a string of falsehoods–that Calson “just takes Muslim terrorist money,” that “he’s just bought off by the Qataris,” and that “he’s just a nut.”
The president, who endorsed Fine in the special election Fine won on April 1 to replace Mike Waltz, has just accepted the gift of a $400 million jet from the Qataris.
Deborah Coffey says
Can there be anybody that voted for this fool that is proud of his/her vote? Certainly, Americans believe that we deserve representation by people of character and values. Randy Fine is a stupid man and a total embarrassment…another one along with Trump and his entire cabinet.
c says
Why do I have nightmares of Randy Fine dating Marjorie Taylor-Green?
And, how can I stop them !!!
Thomas Hutson says
Pugsley, Pugsley,Pugsley(aka (Fine) you really need to get a “Life “ ! Open your mouth once again and prove you have nothing but SHIT for brains! Please do Florida a great service and shut your stupid mouth until after the 2026 elections! Give up trying the mimic the Orange Man you don’t have a clue!
R.S. says
Incestuous idiot? Hmmm. I don’t think I would apply that term to Gazans, but looking at that picture . . . . .
Sherry says
How embarrassing and troubling for “anyone” who voted for this complete “JERK”!
justbob says
Joe Mullins, Ed Danko, Victor Barbosa, Mike Norris, Alan Lowe, Randy Fine. So many bad choices…it speaks loudly to the mentality of our area voters.
Nephew Of Uncle Sam says
Just a buffoon that only one circus would take with the Ringmaster a convicted felon.
PaulT says
I’m in agreement with Deborah Coffey in that I can’t believe anyone supports Randy Fine, but I’m not sure he’s stupid, even in his day Harvard didn’t hand degrees and mba’s to complete dolts though every rule has it’s exceptions.
But Fine is certainly a foul mouthed, racist bigot. Fine is a multi millionaire rabble rouser who has sworn absolute loyalty to Trump’s misguided misogynist policies and has admitted to being disinterested in his constituents.
Pogo says
@Now
… someone tell me it’s NOT Floriduh; there’s no f’ing way to wash your hands after voting for monsters like trump, desantis, scott, bondi, fine, and the rest of these loathsome hyenas that floriduhians have elevated to elected office.
Keep Flagler Beautiful says
It burns me up that we’ve had that that crass loudmouth Randy Fine foisted on us as our Congressman. It’s worse than a shotgun marriage because we don’t even know the guy! He doesn’t live in the area and probably never even passed through here until Trump anointed him. I’m an independent voter who voted for Trump, and I have to say the appointment of Fine as the Republican candidate to run for Mike Waltz’s seat was one of the three most colossally stupid moves Trump has made since taking office. Fine is an embarrassment, and I’m ashamed that he represents us. He’s not fit to be the mosquito officer.
T says
So truth is out fine is incest and disgrace
BillC says
Randy Fine is a swine.
William Moya says
A reminder, that what this man is saying has been echo, retroactively by Netanyahu and his gang of fascists, with the tacit support of the US government, both Republicans and Democrats, and Americans still in a somnambules state afraid to wake up and face reality.
The dude says
In other words… he represents this area perfectly.
Foresee says
Fine “claimed half the population is incestuously married and therefore prone to being idiots.”
In the Old Testament, both daughters of Lot had sex with their father and got pregnant. (Gen 19:33)
Lot was the nephew of Abraham and accompanied him on his journey to the land of Caanan.
David Schaefer says
He is nothing but a PIG along with his boy TRUMP….
Endless dark money says
lol the republicans are the inbred terrorist! Starving children, imprisoning people without trials! When are we going to round up the republican gang and hold them accountable for their crimes. The punishment for treason is death according to the old constitution.
Jim says
@Keep Flagler Beautiful says: “It burns me up that we’ve had that that crass loudmouth Randy Fine foisted on us as our Congressman.”
Just to be clear, Fine was not “foisted on us” as you state. Trump endorsed Fine and all the MAGA’s fell in line (like you) and voted him into office. MAGA (and you) had the opportunity to look at Fine and his opponent Josh Weil and vote for who you thought was the best candidate. As far as I know, Fine never even campaigned; he knew he’d win because Trump anointed him. If you and others had just taken some time to look at your choice you might have voted for Weil and Fine wouldn’t be “representing” this area now. But that didn’t happen and here we are. You say you are an “independent” voter. If that’s the case, did you not compare the candidates or did you conclude Fine was the better of the two? Either way, I’m not sure what you “independently” look for in a candidate but since Fine apparently got your vote, you might want to re-evaluate your requirements for candidates. Fine didn’t hide his nasty side.
Joe D says
Randy Fine’s comments and behavior are so outrageous, that I’m EMBARRASSED to have to admit to Friends and Relatives, that he is MY representative! Is he REALLY the best that Flagler County has to offer the local voters (how SAD)?
Has anyone verified that he still has his “primary” residence in Flagler County? Does he still even LIVE at the rental home in Flagler County that the Republican Party arranged for him, so he could “qualify” ( what a SHAM), as a Flagler County “resident” for the election. I would be interested in how much time he actually SPENDS at his Flagler County “residence,” instead of his (I guess now officially his “vacation”) prior residence he was in, prior to be the TRUMP supported candidate to fill the vacancy.
I see now there has been local calls for his resignation (good luck). He is a true TRUMP acolyte…so he is going nowhere…at least not until the 2026 elections. But even then, the APPARENTLY OBLIVIOUS Flagler County voters will probably cement him in for another full term. It’s not like his inappropriate conduct wasn’t well known BEFORE his appointment! But his blind support for the current MAGA crowd seems to be his only STRONG POINT.
COME ON Flagler County voters…there has to be someone better out there for his position…there just HAS TO BE….anyone?!!