Martin Hyde, who threatened Sarasota police officer's career, lauded by Tucker Carlson for apology

Sarasota's Martin Hyde indicated in a Thursday evening interview with Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he's still running against U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan in a GOP primary for the 16th District congressional seat after all.

He also said he was embarrassed about his encounter with the Sarasota Police Department last month, which prompted him to indicate in an opinion piece submitted to the Herald-Tribune, published online Feb. 25, that he was quitting the race.

Roger Stone, a campaign consultant for Hyde, said last week that the candidate was quitting the race. But in his interview with Carlson on Thursday, Hyde explained why he’s running for Congress, which indicated that he’s still in the race.

“This is a guy that is simply not fit to call himself a conservative,” he told Carlson.

Regarding his encounter with the Sarasota police officer, and subsequent apology, Hyde said: “It was a shocking thing to do.”

Background: Candidate allegedly threatened to 'end' cop's career during traffic stop

More: Martin Hyde campaign consultant Roger Stone says Hyde quitting race after threatening cop

The comments came on Carlson’s primetime show, Tucker Carlson Tonight.

On Feb. 14, Hyde was stopped by a Sarasota police officer for speeding and texting while driving. During the traffic stop, Hyde referenced his connections in the community – including the chief of police and the mayor – in an apparent attempt to avoid a ticket.

When the officer persisted with the tickets, Hyde warned that: “You’re making career decisions.”

Hyde later issued a public apology and said, “I am not sorry, as many will say, because I got caught. I am sorry because I let so many people down.”

Before Carlson started interviewing Hyde on his show, the Fox News host said that politicians “never apologize.”

“When they apologize, they do it on your behalf,” he said. “Or they tell you they’re sorry; they just care too much. They’re such good people, like they had no choice. Martin Hyde is an exception to this rule.”

Carlson said Hyde “got caught being rude to a police officer” on body cam video. The host played a clip from the video and then described Hyde’s apology.

“What makes Martin Hyde interesting and why we wanted to talk to him is that he issued a statement, saying, ‘That was horrible. That was the real me. You caught me. I’m totally embarrassed. I behave like a jerk because I am a jerk sometimes. I’m sorry,’” Carlson said. “Who says that? Well, Martin Hyde said it, and that’s why he’s joining us right now.”

Hyde told Carlson that he is “horribly embarrassed.”

He characterized himself as different from most politicians.

“The people that are in there, in (Washington) D.C., not only are they very old, but they’re very dishonest,” he said. “And they can’t even be honest about their failings and their faults.”

When Carlson asked Hyde what the reaction was like to his apology, he said he has received “hundreds” of phone calls, and he answered many of them.

“And they were quite taken aback, you know,” Hyde said. “I said, ‘Okay, so you’ve got your 30 seconds. Tell me. Knock yourself out. What part of me don’t you like? What do you think I should do to myself today?’”

“It was cathartic,” he continued. “You’ve got to be able to poke fun at yourself.”

Hyde also said that the biggest issue affecting America isn’t “the wokesters” – a phrase referring to liberals. Instead, it’s the “RINOs” – a phrase meaning Republicans in name only – and “the establishment,” he said.

Hyde told Carlson that Buchanan voted for legislation to keep the U.S. in the Paris Climate Agreement and voted for H.R. 8, a House bill that would have required nearly all gun buyers to get a background check as indications the incumbent wasn't sufficiently conservative.

In his opinion piece submitted to the Herald-Tribune, he had described his congressional campaign in the past tense, saying he had "taken away the opportunity for people to make changes in a stagnant system...."

"I was prepared to use my limited resources to mount a congressional campaign based on equity as opposed to elitism – which is the irony of the manner of my demise."

In later comments he hedged on whether he was out of the race.

Buchanan, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump in the race, declined to comment about Hyde or the incident after a Feb. 24 roundtable discussion with local law enforcement leaders, telling reporters: "I'll let you guys decide on what that is."

"Today, I want to talk about the people that are here," Buchanan said of the law enforcement officials. "I mean, I don't want to talk about Martin Hyde."

Herald-Tribune political editor Zac Anderson contributed to this report.

Anne Snabes covers city and county government for the Herald-Tribune. You can contact her at asnabes@gannett.com or (941) 228-3321 and follow her on Twitter at @a_snabes.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Fox News interviews Sarasota candidate Martin Hyde about police apology