Florida man claims Republicans in his state are "targeted," afraid to say they're GOP

Hollywood, Florida, October 10, 2020. YES Market MediaIf you’ve valued reading The Signorile Report, consider becoming a paid subscriber and supporting independent, ad-free opinion journalism. Thanks!During a discussion about Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida on my SiriusXM program, Paul from Florida called in, claiming that he and many Republicans have changed their party affiliation to NPA (no party affiliation, or independent) because of a “loss of anonymity” and being “targeted for who you are” and what you “may or may not believe in.”I found this at first confusing, then fascinating — then just an outright bonkers lie.First off, most Republicans who’ve switched to become independents have done so because the GOP has become so extreme, and, as I told Paul, independents nationwide now lean more Democratic than Republican.But then, this claim that Trump-supporting Republicans are afraid to be known as GOP in Florida, of all places, is completely laughable.The Villages, the sprawling and massive retirement community, is crawling with people in MAGA hats and Trump flags on their golf carts. All over the state people are walking around with “ULTRA MAGA” t-shirts.The truth is, as callers to the show from Florida confirmed later, Democrats are the ones targeted, including those who had Biden signs on their lawns. One woman said a man came to her door because she had a Biden sign and proceeded to eviscerate her and tell her to vote for Trump in 2020.Paul claimed that the threat against Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh by a man with a gun near his home was proof of what he was saying. But, I told Paul, unlike him Kavanaugh is a public figure — and of course it’s wrong to threaten him — and Democratic public figures receive death threats daily, including the president, vice president and members of Congress. According to the Department Homeland Security, however, the overwhelming terrorist threat to average Americans right now is from right-wing white supremacist groups and individuals. DHS issued a bulletin in June warning Americans about such threats and the bulletin is in effect until November of this year.There have no no left-wing terrorist groups or planned violent attacks — as what happened on January 6th, when groups like the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and others coordinated an attack, which right-wing political leaders appeared to know about — but it is the Trumpists right now who are threatening more violence, targeting the FBI and anyone on the left.Anyway, as I explained a lot of this to Paul, the snowflake hung up.Listen in and let me know your thoughts! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.signorile.com/subscribe