Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback has stirred a row after using a stand-up style joke to mock FBI Director Kash Patel and calling him incompetent.
The clip was shared by commentator Richard Hanania on X and shows Fishback criticising Patel’s competence while comparing him to a failed food delivery investigation. In the short excerpt, Fishback says: “I wouldn't trust him to investigate what happened to my DoorDash last night. And to be fair to him, it was Indian food.”
The remark was delivered during a recent campaign appearance and was part of a political speech in which Fishback received cheers from the audience. The clip was shared by Hanania who said that Fishback is "basically running for governor while doing standup routine.”
Fishback’s comments about Kash Patel come amid political criticism of the FBI Director, following reports in The Atlantic alleging issues including drinking and missed meetings. Patel has denied the allegations and said he will file a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the magazine. The Atlantic stood by their claims and did not issue an apology. The allegations also come as Trump administration has axed various high-profile figures from their roles in the government, including Pam Bondi and Kristi Noem.
James Fishback was born in 1995 in Davie, Florida and is a hedge fund manager and political outsider running for governor. He attended Georgetown University but left before graduating. He later worked at Greenlight Capital from 2021 to 2023 before founding his own firm, Azoria Partners, where he serves as CEO and chief investment officer. He is a fourth-generation Floridian and is running as a Republican despite holding no prior elected office.
