Republican Gov Candidate Breaks With JD Vance Over Including Nick Fuentes in the Party: ‘He’s Dangerous’

New York Republican candidate for governor, Bruce Blakeman, spoke to CNN’s Manu Raju on Monday and vehemently condemned white supremacist and avowed anti-Semite Nick Fuentes, despite Vice President JD Vance’s call over the weekend for the GOP do away with “purity tests.”

Raju played Blakeman a clip of Vance’s controversial speech at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest over the weekend, which saw a deep divide between speakers condemning rising anti-Semitism in the party and those attacking the so-called “gatekeepers.” Vance clearly came down on the side of the speakers opposed to pushing out the likes of Fuentes from the party, but also gave an interview saying he can “eat sh*t” over his racist attacks on his wife and children.

Raju asked the Trump-endorsed Republican, “So, Mr. Blakeman, if you were elected, you would be one of the most prominent Jewish Republicans in the country. Do you think that Vice President Vance and the party leaders should be more forceful in rejecting anti-Semitic voices?”

Blakeman replied, “Well, I think when Vice President Vance talks about purity, he’s talking about the fact that we have a big tent in our party, and someone like me, who’s a pro-choice Republican, has the opportunity to run for higher office because we don’t have purity tests. But let me say this about Nick Fuentes: I think he’s a nut, he’s dangerous, and we don’t need him in our party.”

Raju pressed, “Do you think that the Vice President should say that too?”

Blakeman replied, “I don’t think he was talking about Nick Fuentes. I think he was talking about the fact that we don’t have litmus tests.”

Raju jumped back in, “But the President hasn’t even gone that far either. Do you think the President and Vice President Vance should align themselves with what you’re saying, that he doesn’t belong in your party?”

Blakeman responded, “I speak for myself, they speak for themselves. I don’t put words in their mouth. So the fact of the matter is, I know that President Trump’s record as being the best friend of Israel and the best friend of the Jewish people of any president we’ve ever had speaks for itself. So I have no problem with President Trump when it comes to his war on anti-Semitism and his ability to make sure that our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel, stays safe and secure. So I think President Trump gets an A-plus for what he’s done, and I think the Jewish people are very, very happy that he stood up to anti-Semitism as strongly and firmly as he’s done.”

Raju then quipped, “I think that’s also five A-pluses, if I was counting correctly there, Mr. Blakeman. Thank you so much for taking the time. I really appreciate it.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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