Fringe Republican Bets on Proud Boy Fandom in Wacky Guv Race
On June 8, the day before attending a forum alongside his fellow candidates, New York gubernatorial hopeful Derrick Gibson tweeted an advertisement for a campaign event. The lead image showed Gibson on a motorcycle next to a seal with two acronyms: “POYB” and “FAFO.”
Or, in the language of the far-right group the Proud Boys, which popularized the acronyms, “Proud of your boy” and “fuck around and find out.”
New York’s November 2022 gubernatorial race should—in theory—pose a promising opportunity for the state’s Republicans. Their possible eventual opponent, Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, is currently weathering scandals over sexual harassment allegations and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.