A Florida governor hopeful is turning an openly antisemitic internet slur into a campaign slogan, then insisting it is just “funny” food talk.

Story Snapshot

• James Fishback, a Florida Republican candidate for governor, repeatedly uses the antisemitic slang term “goyslop” when attacking school cafeteria food.
• Fishback says he chose the word because “it’s funny” and denies antisemitic intent, while also saying he condemns all hatred.
• Jewish groups and experts say “goyslop” comes from conspiracy theories that Jewish elites push unhealthy food to harm non-Jews.
• The clash shows how coded hate speech from fringe internet culture is edging into mainstream politics under the cover of “jokes.”

Candidate turns extremist slang into a campaign talking point

Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback has made the word “goyslop” a centerpiece of his pitch on school food. At a campus event at the University of Central Florida, he told students that if leaders wanted kids to fail, “you would feed them the absolute goyslop in our cafeterias.” He has echoed this line in other appearances, promising to ban “goyslop” from schools and push districts to buy food from Florida farmers instead.Fishback presents this language as part of a broader anti-establishment brand aimed at young conservatives online. Vanity Fair reports that he markets himself with “outrageous” pledges, from attacking unhealthy food to mocking sex workers, and has drawn attention from big-name right-wing influencers. His cafeteria comments fit that pattern of sharp, shareable sound bites designed to travel on social media and signal that he is willing to say what “regular politicians” will not.

What “goyslop” means and why Jewish groups are alarmed

Outside campaign rallies, “goyslop” is not a neutral food joke. It is an antisemitic internet slang term that refers to ultra-processed food, fast food, and mass-produced products, framed by conspiracy theorists as tools used by Jewish elites to keep non-Jews unhealthy and compliant. Researchers trace it to online spaces where users claim Jews are poisoning “goys” — non-Jews — with cheap food and dull entertainment to weaken and control them. Jewish groups say it is a clear example of coded hate speech, not harmless cafeteria talk.

Moment Magazine, which investigated the term’s rise, describes “goyslop” as an offshoot of long-running conspiracy theories that Jews are poisoning gentiles through chemicals or mind-numbing content. Experts with the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism explain that while “slop” alone can just mean junk content or junk food, adding “goy” turns it into a claim that Jews create inferior goods specifically for non-Jews in order to harm or brainwash them. When public figures repeat such words, they argue, it spreads antisemitic ideas to wider audiences who may not know the history but still absorb the message.

Fishback’s defense: “Because it’s funny. Get a life.”

When a reporter from the Jewish Telegraphic Agency asked Fishback why he used “goyslop,” he did not back away. He replied, “Because it’s funny. Get a life,” and then posted the exchange on his social media account with the caption, “Journalists are insufferable.” In the same conversation, he responded to questions about racist and antisemitic messages in a Florida Young Republicans group chat by saying, “I condemn all forms of hatred.” He has repeated that he meant the term as punchy criticism of cafeteria food and outside influence, not as a slur.

Fishback’s defense matches a broader pattern experts describe in today’s politics. Analysts say some candidates use extremist language from the internet, then dismiss concerns by calling it humor, trolling, or “just a joke.” This lets them speak to online audiences who understand the coded meaning while giving them cover to deny bigotry when challenged. In Fishback’s case, he insists his intent was not antisemitic and points to his generic condemnation of hatred, even as he keeps repeating a word rooted in antisemitic conspiracy theories.

From fringe forums to a governor’s race: why this hits a nerve

The controversy around “goyslop” reaches beyond one candidate and one word. Many Americans on both the right and the left already feel that political elites talk down to them while real problems like high food costs, weak schools, and health issues go unsolved. Hearing a candidate blast “cafeteria slop” and promise local farm food taps into that anger. But tying the message to antisemitic slang shifts the focus from real policy debates to culture war fights and identity attacks.

This isn’t bold faith. It’s a failed debate bro cosplaying as a prophet while Florida conservatives see right through the fake piety.

#NeverFishback"10 reasons James Fishback is a 'Christian Conservative'? More like 10 layers of holy hypocrisy wrapped in Bible quotes to launder…

— Steve (@Planter5657) July 8, 2026

Media reports note that Fishback is part of a wider trend: young conservative figures who mix religious nationalist language, harsh rhetoric on immigration and culture, and open or coded antisemitism, and still gain fans among frustrated voters. For older conservatives tired of “woke” politics and for liberals worried about discrimination, this looks like another sign that the system rewards provocation more than solutions. Experts on antisemitism warn that when leaders normalize such terms, even as “jokes,” it makes hate seem ordinary and can fuel real-world threats against Jewish communities.

Sources:

youtube.com, forward.com, vanityfair.com, instagram.com, dispatch.com, pbs.org, usatoday.com