Sydney Gruters, a congressional candidate in Southwest Florida, is condemning what she says is a “disgraceful” social media post by the Sarasota County Democratic Party.
The message was posted shortly after a shooting incident near President Donald Trump on Saturday night.
Gruters seized upon what appears to be a Facebook post by the Democratic Party in the Southwest Florida county that stated, “Well, that sucks,” Saturday night, not long after the incident at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C. There was a laughing face emoji also posted next to the statement. The post also said the Sarasota County Democratic Party is “feeling disappointed.”
Gruters is one of several Republican candidates for CD 16. She said the Democratic Party’s social media message was disturbing.
“People could have been killed last night,” said Gruters in a news release Sunday morning. “This was not a joke, and it should not be treated like one.”
The post was not present on the Sarasota County Democratic Party Facebook account on Sunday morning, as it was apparently removed.
Gruters added it was out of line for any political organization to ridicule the shooting incident.
“Southwest Florida deserves leaders who understand the weight of their words, especially in moments like this. Political violence is wrong no matter who it targets. The Sarasota Democrats owe this community an apology, not a deleted post and the hope that no one noticed,” Gruters said.
The Republican Party of Sarasota County joined Gruters later Sunday, issuing its own condemnation of the Democrats and blaming the blue party for stoking tensions.
“Once again, our nation has been put through an assassination attempt against President Trump during a time of unparalleled hysteria in our nation, driven by the political left and the Democratic Party, calling President Trump a Nazi, fascist, authoritarian, dictator who is destroying the nation, is bound to bring out the crazies. And it has and it will,” said a Republican Party of Sarasota County statement.
“Yet after each failed attempt, Democrats from the leadership in Congress to the local level continue spewing the same slanderous lies. The irony is that this latest assassination attempt happened at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a bipartisan event celebrating free speech and freedom of speech.”
The shooting unfolded just outside the vast subterranean ballroom in the Washington Hilton, holding thousands of dinner guests, disrupting minutes after it began an annual event meant to honor journalism and the First Amendment that was being especially scrutinized this year because it was the first time since Trump became president that he had attended. Trump told reporters later that he hoped the event would be rescheduled within 30 days, though the fact that an armed man was able to rush toward the ballroom raised instant questions about security precautions at an event attended each year by senior government officials.
The shooting suspect was identified as Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, California, according to two law enforcement officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. He is facing two firearm-related charges, including a count of assaulting an officer with a deadly weapon.
Gruters is seeking to fill the congressional seat of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan. The Republican is retiring at the end of his term.
Gruters faces John Peters, Eddie Speir and Eddie Pope during the Republican Primary race for the seat. Democrats Jonathan Harris, Tamika Lyles, Glenn Pearson and Jan Schneider have also filed to run for the seat, as have no-party candidates Mark Davis and Keith Varian. The Primary is set for Aug. 18.
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Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.