A Sarasota congressional candidate says he would have killed the FBI agents who searched former President Donald Trump’s property if they tried to do the same to his home.
“I wish they would come to my house because they would have gone home in a body bag,” Sarasota businessman Martin Hyde said in a new video.
Hyde is a Republican running for Congress against U.S. Representative Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key. He was a magnet for controversy, with his campaign imploding after he was caught on camera berating a Sarasota police officer and threatening her job during a traffic stop in February.
Earlier: Sarasota Congressional Candidate Reportedly Threatened to ‘End’ Agent’s Career During Traffic Stop
WATCH: Video Shows Sarasota Candidate Threatening Police Officer Career During Traffic Stop
It looked like Hyde would drop out of the race, but he paid the qualifying fee and remained a candidate. His campaign has not attracted much attention until now, when Hyde released the incendiary video in the latter part of the August 23 primary.
Hyde takes advantage of the GOP’s outrage over the search for Trump’s property in Mar-a-Lago in the video.
“When they got to Mar-a-Lago and raided President Trump’s house, that was an attack on each of the 75 million people who voted for Donald Trump, it was an attack on democracy,” Hyde said in the video. . shows images of police officers, Mar-a-Lago and Trump supporters. “These people would stop at nothing. I wish they had shown up at my house, because then they would have gone home in a body bag.’
The video is intentionally provocative and appears to be a long-running attempt to attract attention and revive a campaign that is struggling to gain traction. Hyde has tried to challenge eight-year-old Buchanan from the right by criticizing him on things like gun rights, but has raised little money and is an underdog in the race.
Hyde defended his comments in a text message to the Herald-Tribune.
“The FBI is starting to act for a politically motivated[Department of Justice]they act more like tyrants and that’s why we have the Second Amendment,” Hyde said.
Hyde also seemed to confirm that he is provocative to get media attention.
“Have you even considered that I might be using exaggeration and rhetoric because I know how susceptible you are to it?” said Hyde. “There’s no point in spending money on mailings if you get my name printed for free.”
More: Hyde admits making racist comment
More: Records and Police Reports Shed Light on Sarasota’s Candidate Commission’s Temperament
Hyde and Buchanan both reside in Sarasota County but run in Congressional District 16, which includes all of Manatee County and part of Hillsborough County.
Hyde isn’t the only Florida GOP candidate to talk about killing FBI agents.
Luis Miguel, a resident of St. Augustine, a candidate for State House District 20, was banned from Twitter this week after tweeting that “By my plan, all Floridians will be allowed to call the FBI, IRS, ATF, and all other FBI ON SIGHT to shoot. Let freedom ring.”
Follow Herald-Tribune Political Editor Zac Anderson on Twitter at @zacjanderson. He can be reached via [email protected]
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota: Vern Buchanan opponent Martin Hyde threatens to kill FBI agents
