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Introducing James Fishback, a New Breed of RINO

Dmitri Bolt
Dmitri Bolt  |  February 13, 2026 5:30 PM

Republicans have begun to encounter a new kind of RINO, and one that has yet to be identified as such.

James Fishback is a Republican candidate for governor in Florida, challenging Trump-endorsed Byron Donalds in the primary. While he carries an “R” on the ballot, Fishback has repeatedly trafficked in anti-Semitic tropes, overtly racist rhetoric, and openly aligned himself with neo-Nazi beliefs, notably through his public support for Nick Fuentes. 

Alarmingly, Fishback has surged from just one percent support in early polls to a potentially competitive position against Donalds, with much of his backing coming from young conservatives aged 18 to 29. While this has only been in one poll, his growing popularity remains a cause for concern.

“I’m a Republican, but I’m a reluctant Republican,” Fishback said. “The Republican establishment sucks. They’re a bunch of feckless losers. All they do is put out strongly worded letters, put out tweets, and whine on Fox News. They don’t actually do things that make lives easier for us.”

While many of Fishback's policies mimic Republican policies, his rhetoric around his plan is far more sinister. 

The 31-year-old has called for a "complete immigration moratorium," including halting both legal and illegal immigration, often using racist tropes as his reasoning. 

He has called to "ban firms like BlackRock from buying homes," which he claims is one of the reasons housing is so unaffordable. Yet studies show these firms often buy in low-demand areas, filling voids left by weak buyer interest rather than outbidding families en masse.

And, because this is simply the pit from which many new RINOs have emerged, Fishback is staunchly anti-Israel, although he has repeatedly and without shame crossed over into blatant anti-Semitism. Several videos feature Fishback using the term "goyslop," a trope built on the idea that Jews run corporations and are purposely trying to make people sick through poor-quality, yet easily accessible food. 

Racism of all kinds seems to be common throughout his rhetoric, as he has insulted Byron Donalds, calling him "By'rone," and using analogies to describe him as a “slave to his donors” and a “slave to corporate interests.” Fishback has also blasted Donalds as a "DEI hire" and a "token Black guy." Against Indian-American and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, he joked, "There is a fork in the road. I told that to Vivek and he said, ‘What’s a fork?’"

These haven't been typical analogies between political opponents, but genuine racist comments, although Fishback denies it.

Other statements from Fishback show him pushing a nationalist agenda under the guise of defending white men. While claims of discrimination against white men had some traction under the Biden administration, Fishback has taken them further, declaring that “white genocide is real” and that “the only systemic racism… is against white Christian men.” Rather than a mere observation, he frames it as an actionable ideology, proclaiming that “America is for Americans” and insisting on a racial and religious heritage that departs from the vision of the Founders. While the Founders built a nation informed by the moral tradition of Christianity, Fishback echoes the rhetoric of those who would limit that tradition to a single faith. “We are one people, united under a Christian God,” he says, adding “Christ is King," a slogan popularized by Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes. 

Some of his rhetoric may align with that of President Trump, but it serves merely as a Trojan horse.

Even if Fishback himself is dismissed as fringe, the young people who support him are cause for concern. Platforms like his have encouraged younger generations to adopt increasingly radical political positions. While conservatives often worry about young Democrats turning to socialism, equal attention should be paid to the extremes some of our younger conservatives are embracing. Preserving the core principles of conservatism must remain a priority if our movement is to succeed.

At the end of the 20th century, we had intellectual guardians like William F. Buckley Jr. who would ensure figures like Fishback were unable to corrupt what it means to be a conservative. A figure of equal stature has yet to arise today.