DeSantis devotee blames exposed anti-Semitic remarks on Trump’s 'absurd rhetorical extremism'

01 August 2023

Anti-semitic messages sent by notable Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis supporter and politics editor of the far-right Chronicles magazine Pedro Gonzales were exposed in June by Breitbart, resulting in the governor's 2024 presidential campaign denouncing his rhetoric.

Breitbart published messages sent by Gonzales between 2019 and 2020, saying, "Yeah like not every Jew is problematic, but the sad fact is that most are," in a group chat, as well as, "I am at the point where I can respect Jews as individuals and like them as individuals, but as a group I see them as problematic."

Now, The Washington Free Beacon reports the conservative "made more extensive anti-Semitic remarks than previously reported" — publishing messages obtained by the news outlet of Gonzalez saying "former House speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) 'can't be criticized' publicly because she is a Jew — Pelosi is a Roman Catholic — and that Jewish scholar Yoram Hazony is an unfit spokesman for American nationalism because he was born in Israel."

Although a DeSantis supporter, Gonzales claims to have "no official connection to the DeSantis campaign," and Free Beacon reports "Never Back Down, the super PAC supporting DeSantis, denounced Gonzalez and said it had no affiliation with him."

Free Beacon reports:

Other DeSantis allies, however, have stood behind Gonzalez. Weeks after the publication of the Breitbart exposé, the Florida Standard, a news outlet described by Politico as part of DeSantis's attempt to forge his own press corps in the Sunshine State and a publication 'at the center of DeSantis's norms-smashing media strategy,' published an op-ed by Gonzalez arguing that Trump is a likely loser in a general election.

The editor of the Standard, Will Witt, did not respond to a request for comment.

"What starts off as joking can very quickly become unironically internalized as an actual belief," Gonzales told Free Beacon in a recent interview. "I said those things, and I take responsibility for them, and I apologize for them, and, ultimately, it's on me."

The news outlet notes the right-wing editor told the publication his statements "were wrong" and "don't reflect who I am," blaming the comments on "his descent into what he described as an 'online Trump world' that embraced 'absurd rhetorical extremism.'"

Suggesting his views changed when he became a father, the GOPer said, "You develop a kind of revulsion for the immaturity that defines these extremely online movements, the kind of performative bigotry that is a feature of it. I completely do not believe any of that stuff. I'm ashamed of those comments, I'm embarrassed by them."

The Washington Free Beacon's full report is available at this link.

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