DeSantis, left and Putnam, right. [Times]
One day before the second (and final) debate between the two Republican candidates for Florida governor, they are pitted against each other over their positions on the recent killing of Markeis McGlockton — Florida's latest 'stand your ground' shooting.
Tuesday afternoon, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam tweeted a statement defending Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri over his handling of the July 19 shooting, saying "the state attorney and Pinellas Sheriff Gualtieri have far more information on what took place in Clearwater."
"No wonder (zero) Florida sheriffs have endorsed him," he added in the body of the tweet, referring to his opponent, Congressman Ron DeSantis. Putnam has been endorsed by close to 50 sheriffs.
.@RonDeSantisFL should be ashamed of himself for siding with @TheRevAl and liberal Democrats in attacking Floridians' Second Amendment rights. No wonder 0 Florida sheriffs have endorsed him. pic.twitter.com/nsLRAKaK6y[1][2][3]
— Adam Putnam (@adamputnam) August 7, 2018[4]
Then Putnam added an image to the tweet thread, portraying DeSantis on the same "side" as all five Democratic candidates for governor, as well as the national civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton. Sharpton came to Clearwater on Sunday[5] to speak at St. John Primitive Baptist Church, where he accused Gualtieri and the state attorney of mishandling the case because of racial bias.
McGlockton, 28, was black and his shooter, 47-year-old Michael Drejka is white.
Your next Governor should stand up for you and defend your Second Amendment rights, not side with liberal elites to undermine them. #StandYourGround pic.twitter.com/1nZNsCG3el[6][7]
— Adam Putnam (@adamputnam) August 7, 2018[8]
That's because DeSantis weighed in on the
