Now, THIS is a debate — the race for sheriff in Palm Beach County, Florida, has a candidate so enthusiastic he said what he is really in his mind after being roasted in a confrontation with his rivals.
The debate took place via Zoom earlier this week and Michael Gauger he didn’t mince his words… firing at his fellow candidate Lauro Diaz calling him a “f*** ***hole!”
It all started when Diaz completely ignored the other candidate, Alex Freemanto declare the race a two-man show, with his eyes fixed on Gauger.
Diaz criticized Gauger, claiming he was largely to blame for all the problems the community faced because he spent 51 years with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office before retiring in 2021.
As Diaz spoke, Gauger was visibly angry… grabbing a stack of paper and slamming it on the desk in frustration. At one point, he got so angry he almost walked off-screen, but he composed himself, waiting for Diaz to finish before dropping the f-bomb.
You can see Diaz and the other candidate, Freeman, reacting with a mixture of shock and amazement… before the moderator tried to restore order.
Gauger told TMZ he thought he was muted and believed his personal video was unavailable after he switched to his phone when the Zoom link wasn’t working on his iPad.
Classic 2020 mistake, in the middle of a pandemic, really.
He adds… he was so frustrated with Diaz that he mumbled the comment, thinking it was just a private expression. He also insists he doesn’t normally use that kind of language in public and has apologized for it.