Angie Nixon responds after JD Vance says she doesn't belong in America
In response to Vice President JD Vance telling her, "You don't belong in America," Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Angie Nixon told CBS News Miami she found the comments "very disrespectful."
"It's really disheartening, especially knowing that I come from folks who helped build this country," she said during an appearance on Facing South Florida. "My grandparents were sharecroppers in southern Georgia. And all I want for people is to have access to quality health care, to have access to fully funded public schools, for people to have homes, to live in and not have to worry about living on the streets. There's absolutely nothing radical or extreme about that. And I don't consider myself a socialist, I consider myself a lifelong Democrat who puts people over party, people over politics, and people over profit."
Vance made the comments during a rally Thursday in Lakeland, Florida, where he urged voters to support Republican U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody in the November election. Moody was appointed to the Senate by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2025.
"You've got some real choice Democrats running in the state of Florida," Vance told the crowd. "Look no further than Angie Nixon, the self-described – it's almost too easy to make fun of her – the self-described Socialist. Well, ladies and gentlemen, when Angie Nixon calls herself a socialist, I think the right response is to say, `Then get the hell out of here. You don't belong in America if those are your views.'"
During the primary, Nixon aligned herself with the Democratic Socialists of America but later said she did not agree with all of the group's views.
"I think it's important to know that I joined that organization in addition to the Working Families Party, in addition to becoming a lifelong member of the NAACP, and that is because they are fighting hard to ensure the power is in the hands of the people," she told CBS News Miami's Jim DeFede. "They believe, like I believe, that government should work for people and not against them. And so they're fighting for Medicare for all. They're fighting for universal childcare and things like that. And that would help save lives. It would help save money and keep money in people's pockets. And I think it's really important to know that I don't believe in everything the DSA believes in."
"You know, they have stated they wanted to abolish prisons," she continued. "I don't want to abolish prisons because I want Ashley Moody in one of them. She actually stole $10 million from sick kids and used that money to divert it to two political PACS."
Nixon was referring to the controversy surrounding Hope Florida. While Moody was Florida's attorney general, her office approved directing $10 million from a Medicaid settlement to the Hope Florida Foundation. A Leon County grand jury later concluded that the money was misappropriated through what it called "a sophisticated scheme to fund political activities," but said there was insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally.
"How many children are going to die because of what she did?" Nixon charged, noting the money was supposed to be used to help provide Medicaid for sick and poor children in Florida. "It is absolutely shameful."
Nixon also said Moody has refused to debate her.
"She doesn't want to debate me because she knows I'm going to bring it up," Nixon said. "And she also has no platform to stand on. She can't stand on anything. Everything she has done has been cruel."