JD Vance tells Angie Nixon to 'get the hell out of here' over her socialist label; Nixon says Florida is her home
Vice President JD Vance told a Lakeland rally that Angie Nixon, Florida's Democratic Senate nominee, should 'get the hell out of here' when she calls herself a socialist. Nixon said Florida is her home; Ro Khanna and Richard Grenell traded posts over the remark.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
Vance spoke in an airplane hangar at Lakeland Linder International Airport, at a rally for Sen. Ashley Moody, Nixon's Republican opponent, and Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican nominee for governor. In the rally video, he calls Nixon 'the self-described socialist that the Democrats put up against Ashley Moody' and says many Floridians who came from Latin America know that 'socialism kills.' He then says: '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.' He goes on to criticize her past calls to defund the police and abolish prisons. The Florida Phoenix report of the rally quoted the line without its final clause.
Nixon answered on X the same afternoon. She wrote that Vance and 'absent Ashley Moody' are used to running away from people, 'But this is my home,' and that Vance had come to her home state to tell her to get out of America while enjoying buildings her ancestors built. In a written statement quoted by the Florida Phoenix, she said she was 'not going any damn place.'
That evening Rep. Ro Khanna, quoting a clip of the remark, wrote that Vance had told 'a Black woman who is a descendant of enslaved people to leave America.' Richard Grenell replied to Khanna that 'the Victim Culture you always push is unAmerican and it should get the hell out of here, too.'
Read the full background
Nixon, a state representative from Jacksonville, won the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat in an August 2026 special primary and faces Moody in the November 3 special election. Moody was appointed to the seat in January 2025 after Marco Rubio became secretary of state. According to the Florida Phoenix, Nixon joined the Democratic Socialists of America in the summer of 2026, and Vance opened his attack on her by pointing to the unpopularity of socialism among South Florida Hispanic voters. Later in the speech he mocked Cafe Resistance, the bookstore Nixon runs in Jacksonville.
People in this case
JD VanceDirectly involved
Angie NixonDirectly involved
Richard GrenellCommented
Ro KhannaCommented
Timeline
3 timeline entries on this page. Dates: October 1, 2026
October 2026
Vance tells a Lakeland rally that Nixon should 'get the hell out of here'
Incident
At a rally for Ashley Moody and Byron Donalds in Lakeland, Vance says that when Nixon calls herself a socialist, the right response is to tell her to get the hell out of here, because she does not belong in America 'if those are your views.'
[01]Vice President Vance speaks at GOP midterm rally in Florida
Full video of Vice President JD Vance's October 1, 2026, campaign rally for Sen. Ashley Moody and Rep. Byron Donalds at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland, Florida, posted by LiveNOW from FOX. Vance's remarks about Angie Nixon begin at about 24:13.
[02]In Lakeland visit, JD Vance says Angie Nixon 'doesn't belong in America'
Florida Phoenix report by Mitch Perry, republished by WLRN, on Vance's October 1 rally in Lakeland. It quotes his remarks about Nixon and the written statement Nixon issued in response.
Nixon answers that Florida is her home
Reaction
In a two-part thread on X, Nixon writes that Vance came to her home state to tell her to get out of America and that her ancestors built the country. In a written statement quoted by the Florida Phoenix, she says she is not going anywhere.
[03]Angie Nixon
First post of a two-part thread by Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon on October 1, 2026, responding to Vance's remarks about her at the Lakeland rally.
Angie Nixon on X: 'But this is my home' · Angie NixonX post[04]Angie Nixon
Second post of a two-part thread by Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon on October 1, 2026, responding to Vance's remarks about her at the Lakeland rally.
[02]In Lakeland visit, JD Vance says Angie Nixon 'doesn't belong in America'
Florida Phoenix report by Mitch Perry, republished by WLRN, on Vance's October 1 rally in Lakeland. It quotes his remarks about Nixon and the written statement Nixon issued in response.
Khanna criticizes the remark, and Grenell replies
Reaction
Quoting a clip of the remark, Rep. Ro Khanna writes that Vance told a Black woman descended from enslaved people to leave America. Richard Grenell replies that the 'Victim Culture' Khanna pushes should get the hell out of here too.
[05]Ro Khanna
Rep. Ro Khanna posted this on X on October 1, 2026, quoting a post by Aaron Rupar that shared video of Vance's remark about Nixon.
Ro Khanna on X: 'Even I didn't believe you would go this low' · Ro KhannaX post[06]Richard Grenell
Richard Grenell posted this reply to Ro Khanna's post about Vance's remark on the evening of October 1, 2026, Eastern time.
Richard Grenell on X: reply to Ro Khanna about Vance's remark · Richard GrenellX post
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
3 responses. Newest first.
Richard GrenellRepublican political adviser and former acting director of national intelligence, posting on XBefore this statement
Grenell's post replies to Khanna's post, which says Vance told 'a Black woman who is a descendant of enslaved people to leave America.'
"the Victim Culture you always push is unAmerican and it should get the hell out of here, too."
Challenged the characterizationCase context: JD Vance tells Angie Nixon to 'get the hell out of here' over her socialist label; Nixon says Florida is her home
Full statement and sources
Replying to Khanna's post about the remark, Grenell writes that the 'Victim Culture' Khanna pushes is un-American and should get the hell out of here too.
After the statement
Grenell's reply is addressed to Khanna and Vance, and it applies Vance's phrase to Khanna's argument rather than to Nixon.
Richard Grenell on X: reply to Ro Khanna about Vance's remark · Richard GrenellX postRo Khanna on X: 'Even I didn't believe you would go this low' · Ro KhannaX postWhy this label?
The case concerns Vance's statement at the Lakeland rally that Nixon should 'get the hell out of here' and does not belong in America if she calls herself a socialist. Grenell does not address Nixon. He rejects Khanna's description of the remark as telling a descendant of enslaved people to leave America, calls that 'Victim Culture' and turns Vance's phrase on it, which disputes how the remark is characterized.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Ro KhannaU.S. representative from California, posting on XBefore this statement
At a rally in Lakeland, Vance said that when Angie Nixon calls herself a socialist, the right response is to tell her to get the hell out of here because she does not belong in America.
"Telling a Black woman who is a descendant of enslaved people to leave America, @JDVance."
CondemnedCase context: JD Vance tells Angie Nixon to 'get the hell out of here' over her socialist label; Nixon says Florida is her home
Full statement and sources
Khanna writes that Vance told a Black woman who is a descendant of enslaved people to leave America, and that he did not believe Vance would go this low.
After the statement
In the same post, Khanna writes that he does not know what to say and adds, 'Even I didn't believe you would go this low.'
Ro Khanna on X: 'Even I didn't believe you would go this low' · Ro KhannaX postWhy this label?
The case concerns Vance's statement at the Lakeland rally that Nixon should 'get the hell out of here' and does not belong in America if she calls herself a socialist. Khanna describes the remark as telling a descendant of enslaved people to leave America and says he did not believe Vance would go this low, which condemns it.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Angie NixonFlorida state representative and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, posting on XDirectly involvedBefore this statement
At a rally in Lakeland on October 1, Vance said that when Nixon calls herself a socialist, the right response is to say 'get the hell out of here.' In the first post of her thread, Nixon wrote that Vance and Moody are used to running away from people, 'But this is my home.'
"Imagine standing on the shoulders of the ppl who built this country & then telling their descendants they don't belong here"
CondemnedCase context: JD Vance tells Angie Nixon to 'get the hell out of here' over her socialist label; Nixon says Florida is her home
Full statement and sources
In the second post of her thread, Nixon writes that the 'most ordinary man imaginable' came to her home state to tell her to 'get out of America,' and contrasts that with the people who built the country and their descendants.
After the statement
In a written statement quoted by the Florida Phoenix, Nixon said that wanting lower property insurance and health care for everyday families is not un-American, and that she was 'not going any damn place.'
Angie Nixon on X: 'Imagine standing on the shoulders of the ppl who built this country' · Angie NixonX postAngie Nixon on X: 'But this is my home' · Angie NixonX postWhy this label?
The case concerns Vance's statement at the Lakeland rally that Nixon should 'get the hell out of here' and does not belong in America if she calls herself a socialist. Nixon rejects the remark and criticizes Vance for telling the descendants of the people who built the country that they don't belong, which condemns it.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(6)
Original video
Vice President Vance speaks at GOP midterm rally in Florida
About this source
Full video of Vice President JD Vance's October 1, 2026, campaign rally for Sen. Ashley Moody and Rep. Byron Donalds at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland, Florida, posted by LiveNOW from FOX. Vance's remarks about Angie Nixon begin at about 24:13.
- Author
- LiveNOW from FOX
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Richard Grenell on X: reply to Ro Khanna about Vance's remark
About this source
Richard Grenell posted this reply to Ro Khanna's post about Vance's remark on the evening of October 1, 2026, Eastern time.
- Author
- Richard Grenell
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Ro Khanna on X: 'Even I didn't believe you would go this low'
About this source
Rep. Ro Khanna posted this on X on October 1, 2026, quoting a post by Aaron Rupar that shared video of Vance's remark about Nixon.
- Author
- Ro Khanna
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Angie Nixon on X: 'Imagine standing on the shoulders of the ppl who built this country'
About this source
Second post of a two-part thread by Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon on October 1, 2026, responding to Vance's remarks about her at the Lakeland rally.
- Author
- Angie Nixon
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Angie Nixon on X: 'But this is my home'
About this source
First post of a two-part thread by Florida state Rep. Angie Nixon on October 1, 2026, responding to Vance's remarks about her at the Lakeland rally.
- Author
- Angie Nixon
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
In Lakeland visit, JD Vance says Angie Nixon 'doesn't belong in America'
Relevant passage: Article
About this source
Florida Phoenix report by Mitch Perry, republished by WLRN, on Vance's October 1 rally in Lakeland. It quotes his remarks about Nixon and the written statement Nixon issued in response.
- Author
- Mitch Perry
- Published
- Accessed
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- JD Vance tells Angie Nixon to 'get the hell out of here' over her socialist label; Nixon says Florida is her home
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/vance-angie-nixon-doesnt-belong-in-america
The Dispute Index. "JD Vance tells Angie Nixon to 'get the hell out of here' over her socialist label; Nixon says Florida is her home". First published: 2026-10-30. Last updated: 2026-10-30. https://disputeindex.com/cases/vance-angie-nixon-doesnt-belong-in-america