President Trump celebrated Florida state Sen. Randy Fine’s (R) primary win on Tuesday, hailing the lawmaker for his call to progressive Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) to “consider leaving” Congress if he ends up being elected to the chamber.
Fine is favorited to succeed former Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.), who vacated his seat representing the Sunshine State’s 6th Congressional District after Trump tapped him to serve as national security adviser.
Trump posted a photo of him and Fine on Truth Social Tuesday that says: “Randy Fine wins” and “Endorsed by President Trump!”
Fine, an ardent backer of Israel, joined the race in November after earning public backing from the president. The special election is scheduled for April 1.
Fine issued his warning to Tlaib and Omar, both vocal supporters of Palestinians in Gaza, in late November.
“The Hebrew Hammer is coming. Rashida [Tlaib] and [Ilhan Omar] might consider leaving before I get there,” he wrote at the time, including a hashtag #BombsAway.
Tlaib is the only Palestinian American member of Congress. She and Omar — both Muslim — have been staunch backers of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The war started with Hamas’s terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when roughly 1,200 Israelis were killed and more than 250 people taken captive. The two countries are currently under a temporary ceasefire.
Fine faced some blowback in September over his comments about the war. After a Turkish American activist was killed by Israel’s military in the West Bank, the Florida lawmaker said “Throw rocks, get shot. One less Muslim terrorist. Fire Away.”
