James Fishback, a 31-year-old former hedge fund analyst and fourth-generation Floridian, is running for governor of Florida on an unapologetically “America First” platform that has made him a polarizing figure — drawing support from anti-establishment voters and fierce opposition from AIPAC, the Republican establishment, and mainstream media. He argues that the current Iran war serves Israeli interests at America’s expense, that the Epstein files are being covered up, that foreign lobbying has corrupted US politics, and that the Republican Party has betrayed its voters on foreign wars, the economy, and free speech.
The Iran War Serves Israel, Not America
Fishback argues the war with Iran is a direct repudiation of what voters — Republican and Democrat — supported when they elected Trump in 2024: no new foreign wars.
He acknowledges Iran is a dictatorial, homicidal regime that persecutes Christians and oppresses women, but insists Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States.
He contrasts Iran with the Mexican cartels, which kill over 100,000 Americans annually through fentanyl — a far greater ongoing threat that receives no comparable military response.
The war benefits Israel by removing Iran as a counterweight to Israeli regional hegemony, allowing Israel to become the dominant power in the Middle East.
Fishback frames this as rational from Israel’s perspective but not justified from a humanitarian or American-interest standpoint.
He argues AIPAC has sold the lie that anything benefiting Israel benefits America, when in fact pro-Israel policies can be anti-American — citing 13 US service members killed in four weeks and gas prices rising at the fastest rate in 30 years.
He identifies two proximate causes for why the war started now:
Distraction from the Epstein files: Just as pressure mounted on the DOJ to release the files, the bombing campaign began. He notes the Republican Party went from calling the files a “Democrat hoax” to facing undeniable evidence of crimes.
Distraction from economic failure: Young Americans can’t find jobs, inflation persists, private equity firms like Blackstone are hoarding single-family homes, and the K-shaped recovery has left Main Street behind. War redirects patriotic energy away from these failures.
The Epstein Files and the Culture of Compromise
Fishback believes the Epstein files reveal a system where powerful people are both drawn into compromise and selected because they’re already compromised.
He points to Matt Gaetz’s account of hotel rooms being bugged in Israel and AIPAC cocktail parties where members of Congress had QR codes scanned like items in an auction.
He argues that people with the darkest secrets are often the ones allowed to run for office because they can be controlled.
As governor, he would appoint a special prosecutor to reopen the Epstein investigation in Florida, noting that capital sexual battery against a minor has no statute of limitations in the state.
He would pursue the death penalty for those convicted and has said he would sign death warrants for public executions.
He would not rule out investigating any politician, Republican or Democrat.
He is skeptical that Trump will pardon Ghislaine Maxwell but notes the pardon power has been misused for crypto scammers and arms dealers rather than people who have genuinely paid for their crimes.
AIPAC, Foreign Money, and the Corruption of US Politics
Fishback argues AIPAC buys allegiance to an “Israel first” ideology, not an “America first” one.
He cites Ted Cruz saying he ran to be “the staunchest advocate for Israel in the United States Congress” — a statement he finds disqualifying for someone sworn to represent Americans.
He notes his opponent, Congressman Byron Donalds, has taken $45 million from AIPAC corporate PACs and hedge fund billionaires, including one named 39 times in the Epstein files who emailed Epstein about “supplies” for the island.
He refuses to take any AIPAC money and challenges voters to only support candidates whose “AIPAC tracker” is neon green — meaning they’ve taken nothing.
He argues foreign money in US politics violates the social contract and notes that China would never allow the US to pay off its politicians, yet the US allows it from Israel, Qatar, and others.
He sees allies on both the right and the left, noting that skepticism about Israel’s actions in Gaza has grown among Democrats and that the bombing of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza City was his personal wake-up call.
What He Would Do as Governor on Day One
Divest Florida’s $385 million in Israeli bonds: The Florida state government lends $385 million yearly to Israel using the state pension fund — money from teachers, firefighters, and first responders. Israel is the only foreign country receiving such loans. He would sell the bonds on the open market.
He rejects the claim that this is anti-Semitic, arguing it is patriotic to oppose sending tax dollars to a foreign government’s war effort.
Refuse to deploy the Florida National Guard to unauthorized foreign wars: He would never allow Florida’s 14,000 National Guardsmen to be deployed to a foreign war unless explicitly authorized by Congress.
Mobilize the National Guard to address homelessness: He would use the Guard to clear homeless encampments and connect people with treatment for addiction and alcoholism, arguing that genuine compassion means not letting people die on the streets.
He was moved by the murder of 74-year-old Rita Landree, stabbed to death inside a Barnes & Noble in an affluent Florida town by a homeless man.
Restore rights to non-violent felons: Drawing on his father’s experience serving a year and a day in prison in the 1980s and then being denied jobs, housing, firearms, and voting rights for decades, he would restore voting rights and Second Amendment rights to non-violent felons who have served their sentences.
Free Speech Under Attack
Fishback argues the First Amendment is on the ballot in his race, pointing to multiple incidents in Florida:
Raquel Pacheco, a 15-year Miami Beach resident and National Guard veteran, was confronted by police after criticizing the mayor’s pro-Israel stance on Facebook. The mayor admitted to sending officers because of “rising anti-Semitism.”
The University of Florida’s College Republicans were banned for alleged anti-Semitism; Students for Justice in Palestine were kicked off campus.
He is filing an amicus brief defending the College Republicans’ First Amendment rights.
He opposes Florida’s 2023 anti-Semitism law (State Statute 105), which adopts the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism and can criminalize criticism of the Israeli government.
He draws a clear line: hatred of any religion is wrong, but criticizing a government is not a crime.
On the Andrew Tate nightclub incident in Miami Beach, he argues that while the song played was offensive, the government effectively coordinated a ban by pressuring private businesses — making it government action disguised as organic business decisions.
OnlyFans, Sin Tax, and the Dignity of Young Women
Fishback calls OnlyFans a “cancer on society” that has shifted young women’s career aspirations from nursing, law, and teaching to becoming influencers and content creators.
He argues many women turn to OnlyFans out of economic desperation — unable to pay rent, tuition, or save for a home — and that the platform commodifies and dehumanizes them.
He proposes a 50% “sin tax” on OnlyFans income, which would mean Sophie Rain owes approximately $42 million in Florida taxes.
He would also consider taxing consumers who subscribe to OnlyFans content.
His goal is not to raise revenue but to make OnlyFans so economically unviable that people leave the platform voluntarily.
He frames this as pro-women: “If the number of women on OnlyFans doubled tomorrow, would that be a sign of a healthy society?”
Immigration, Labor, and the American Worker
Fishback supports deporting all illegal immigrants, arguing that any job taken by someone not here lawfully is a job that could go to an American citizen.
He distinguishes between historical immigrants who came through Ellis Island, assimilated, and pulled themselves up by their bootstraps, and modern migrants who arrived under Biden and received government benefits.
He argues the real issue is not the letter of law — illegal immigration is already illegal — but enforcement. He points to California’s failure to prosecute shoplifting, arson, and other crimes as evidence that laws without enforcement are meaningless.
He would also go after the billionaires and large agricultural companies that exploit illegal labor, arguing they are complicit in a system that undercuts American workers and traffics vulnerable migrants.
He cites the case of a 15-year-old boy who lost his arm working the midnight shift at a meat processing facility — a job given to him by employers who knowingly exploited child labor.
He opposes remote foreign labor as well, citing the La Quinta hotel near Miami International Airport where check-in is handled by an Indian worker on an iPad rather than a local young person.
He argues this steals not just income but skills, experience, and career development from American youth.
He would use persuasion and negotiation with business leaders first, but would pass laws if necessary.
AI, Technology, and the Future of Work
Fishback believes fears about AI taking all jobs are overblown, noting that AI has actually become less capable in the past six months due to technical constraints in training and inference.
He argues AI will eliminate some jobs (like paralegals) but empower ordinary people to sue corporations, draft legal filings, and hold powerful actors accountable in ways they never could before.
He sees AI as a tool for individualized education, medical self-diagnosis, and holding doctors accountable.
He supports an “AI Bill of Rights” with guardrails for minors, including parental access to chat logs, but opposes age verification laws for the internet, which he sees as a way to throttle Gen Z’s access to political content.
Why He Runs Despite the Cost
Fishback’s home was targeted in an attempted arson on February 8, 2026 — four weeks after he went viral writing “No American should die for Israel” on a Marine’s helmet. He believes the two events are connected.
He has been called an extremist, a fraud, and a national threat. The Wall Street Journal labeled him an extremist.
He applies a “regret minimization framework”: he would rather lose the election telling the truth than win by lying.
He sees 2026 — the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence — as a moment to reassert that all men are created equal and to chart a new course for the Republican Party and the country.
His campaign has gone from 2% to 23% in the polls, beating the lieutenant governor and former speaker of the house in a crowded field. The race will likely be decided at the Fox News debate on July 21st against Byron Donalds.
