Ohio GOP Senate front-runners come to blows during heated initial debate
Fireworks erupted in the Republican Senate primary in Ohio on Friday as the two top candidates for the GOP nomination clashed with each other and almost the entire festivities left the stage.
Ohio Senate candidates Josh Mandel and Mike Gibbons were so close to the fight that the moderator was forced to step down and the pair had to move on before the feud escalated.
With both candidates currently at the top of the vote, Mandel has been running ahead of the consensus for months and Gibbons has been gaining strength of late, topping the GOP Senate candidates in two recent independent polls.
A video of the incident has been shared on Twitter The exchange by Politico reporter Natalie Allison shows the exchange began when Gibbons, a Cleveland investment banker, accused Mandel, a former Marine and current state representative, of not working in the private sector.
“You probably don’t understand because you’ve never been in the private sector in your whole life,” Gibbons said with a laugh.
Mandel, obviously, did not appreciate the personal line of attack. At that moment, Mandel got up from his seat, confronted Gibbons, and shouted: “I’ve done it, sir. Two trips to Iraq. Don’t tell me I didn’t work! “
“You don’t know squats,” Gibbons replies.
The exchange continued as the moderator failed to intervene successfully. “You don’t know squats,” Gibbons said again.
“Two trips to Iraq!” Mandel shouted once more.
“Get back, buddy,” Gibbons said.
“You go back,” Mandel said.
The moderator again tried to restore order, and this time separated them. But not before they sit down and back once more.
Mandel told Gibbons, “Look at this. Look at this. You are dealing with the wrong person. You see what happens. “
“Pu * c,” Gibbons fired back as he sat down.
Clock:
Both Gibbons and Mandel have publicly stated that it is not their fault that Mike called others “pussy.” Here is a clear video, where it looks like it could be Gibbons. A couple in the room last night said it was Mandel. A real hoodunit of 2022 midterm. pic.twitter.com/D2usfDqoXe
– Natalie Allison (@Natali_Allison) March 19, 2022
Exciting clashes erupted shortly after the debate began. After the candidates gave their opening statements, the moderator asked his first question, which stopped the fireworks.
The question was how Russia, China, and Congress approved billions of dollars in aid to Ukraine, where Mandel claimed that Gibbons had made the Ohio business “billions of dollars” by shipping to China and owned stock in a Chinese petroleum company that forced Gibbons to stand up and respond to his allegations. .
When he got up, he looked at Mandel and asked him to clear his remarks about Chinese oil.
“Are you saying I own it?” Gibbons asked Mandel.
“You owned stock in it,” Mandel replied.
“I personally did not buy the stock,” Gibbons said.
Mandel added, “You’ve made millions.
“I don’t think I’ve made millions,” Gibbons said with a smile. “I want to make millions from Chinese Petro.”
This exchange immediately followed when Mandel jumped up and confronted Gibbons.
Given a chance to kick the front runners for their stupidity, JD Vance, another candidate for Ohio’s GOP Senate nomination, provoked Mandel and Gibbons to vent their frustrations when the commotion cooled down.
Vance specifically condemned Mandel for using his military service record as an insult:
“I just [have] To comment on what we saw.
The only other person who has served his country in uniform – I was enlisted in the United States Marine Corps -… I think the way you use the United States Marine Corps, Josh, is a shame. *
Did we see that this guy wants to be a US senator? And here he is, ‘Hold me,’ ‘Hold me,’ ‘I’ve got two tours at the Marine Corps – what fun.
Answer the question – stop playing. “
Someone call 911 because I think I just saw it @ JDVance1 Murder Josh Mandel Ohio.
– Andrew Surabees (uraSurabees) March 19, 2022
In a March 7 Fox News poll, Gibbons led the polls with 22% support, followed by Mandel (20%) and Vance (11%). The other four, former Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken (9%), State Sen. Matt Dolan (7%), businessman Neil Patel (2%), and businessman Mark Pukita (1%), all checked below 10%.
Recent survey results show a dramatic change in public sentiment from previous surveys, all of which were led by Mandel. Now, with the race going downhill – Ohio’s GOP Primary is currently scheduled for May 3 – things are getting tougher on top.
No post, this is not an episode of Jerry Springer: Ohio GOP Senate front-runners almost start fighting during heated heated debate (video) first appeared on The Gateway Pundit.
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