The Broward County elections supervisor, a new subject of Trump's ire, was appointed by Jeb Bush

(Image credit: Brett Coomer - Pool/Getty Images)

last updated 9 November 2018

More than two years after the Republican presidential primaries of 2016, President Trump and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's paths have once again crossed.

Trump on Friday joined Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) in expressing frustration with Broward County, where votes are still being counted in the state's Senate race. Scott's lead has continued to narrow as votes are counted in this largely Democratic county. Scott on Thursday announced he would be suing Broward County and specifically Elections Supervisor Brenda Snipes, alleging that "unethical liberals" are trying to "steal this election from the people of Florida." On Friday, Trump appeared to go after Snipes as well, saying she has a "horrible history," CNN reports.

And who can Trump thank for putting Snipes in her position? None other than one of his all-time favorite punching bags, Jeb Bush. Back in 2001, Miriam Oliphant was elected Broward County's elections supervisor, but her tenure was mired by mismanagement, including broken voting machines, late openings, and undeliverable mail-in ballots. So in 2003, Bush, then the governor of Florida, removed Oliphant from office and appointed Snipes, who has remained in the job ever since, The Washington Post reports. As Trump is sure to continue hammering Broward County in the coming days, having tweeted about supposed "fraud" four times in the course of two hours on Friday, the triumphant return of his "low energy" insult can't be far behind.

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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