Congressman Randy Fine has mocked the No Kings rallies held across the country on Saturday, calling them “I am an idiot” rallies.
The Republican, who represents the Lady Lake and Marion County portions of The Villages, held a virtual press conference on Sunday afternoon blasting “the Democratic shutdown” which will mark its 20th day on Monday.
While much of Fine’s frustration was aimed at Democrats in Congress, particularly the 45 Democratic U.S. senators who have refused to end the shutdown, he took a swipe at the nearly 7 million Americans who took part in the No Kings rallies on Saturday, including thousands of who rallied at two locations in The Villages.
“I think we have a lot of stupid people in this country,” said Fine, who was sent to Congress earlier this year in a special election.
He pointed out that President Trump is a democratically elected leader.
“Donald Trump got more votes than any other candidate for president in U.S. history,” Fine said.
He said that No Kings participants enjoyed the privilege of exercising their right to free speech.
“If we had a king, we wouldn’t have any rallies,” Fine said.
He suggested the American people would be better served if Democrats would get serious about reopening the government.
He pointed to the 155,000 federal workers in Florida who are not getting paid.
In his press conference, Fine hosted Brandon Hartzog of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Union. Hartzog works as a firefighter/paramedic at the Mayport Naval Station. Hartzog said he is required to show up for work, even though he is not getting paid. Hartzog, who has three children, said some of his fellow firefighter/paramedics are being forced to turn to food pantries for assistance in order to feed their families.
While the government shutdown continues with no end in sight, Democrats are holding firm in their demand to spend “a trillion and a half dollars” on their priorities including healthcare for illegal immigrants and propping up the “unaffordable” healthcare plan enacted under the Obama administration, Fine said. He said those Democratic demands would be paid for by borrowing “from our children and grandchildren.”
Fine added that “Florida is not the problem,” as U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody are standing by and eager to vote to reopen the government. Fine blamed the 45 Democratic U.S. senators who are refusing to end the shutdown.
Fine urged his constituents to contact friends and family living in states with Democratic U.S. senators and urging them to put pressure on those elected leaders.