An Alachua County School Board member has once again been criticized by state officials following online remarks about the purported attempt on President Donald Trump’s life on April 25 at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, D.C.
School Board member Tina Certain accused Trump of staging the incident at the Washington Hilton hotel ballroom, where a suspected shooter armed with multiple guns and knives reportedly charged a security checkpoint.
“Staged! Drump stages more crap than a realtor,” she wrote in an April 25 comment on Facebook that was reposted by @libsoftiktok on X shortly after the attack.
Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said Certain’s comments “downplayed political violence” in an April 27 post on X.
“School board members are elected to prioritize the safety and academic success of students, not engage in political activism and conspiracy theories to build their own political careers. Thankfully, Tina Certain’s time on the school board is coming to an end. Once gone, I’m hopeful @AlachuaSchools can refocus on the student-centered policies we champion in Florida, instead of dealing with this nonsense,” he wrote.
Certain, who represents District 1, announced that she will run for the Alachua County Commission District 2 seat. Her term on the school board ends in 2026.
Sen. Rick Scott called on Certain to immediately resign.
“This is disgusting. She needs to resign. Now.,” he wrote on X.
Certain said she regretted her Facebook comment in an emailed statement to the Sun. “I am grateful no one was seriously injured,” she continued. “Gun violence should always be taken seriously. I should not have speculated or responded to the situation so casually.”
This is not the first time state leaders have chastised Certain over comments made on social media.
After conservative activist and Turning Point USA CEO and co-founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Certain wrote in a Facebook post following a Sept. 21, 2025, memorial for him:
“I didn’t watch any of that Drump rally! I went to see an elder bcs the weight of it all – how a 31yr old uneducated white boy has been glorified. He has a organization bcs a millionaire gave him money & connections to start it. To see the feds & state elevate him angers me. It is heavy but I know I can stay home. Gotta fight despite being tired of it all.”
She later apologized for what she called a poorly worded post.
Kamoutsas requested her attendance at a November State Board of Education meeting where he and other state board members berated her for “misconduct” and “unprofessionalism.” She argued during the meeting that, regardless of her position, she retains her First Amendment right to express personal opinions and criticize public figures. She also claimed any attempt by state officials to punish her for the post would amount to unlawful viewpoint discrimination.
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: ACSB member Certain faces backlash over ‘staged’ Trump attack claim
Reporting by Chelsea Long, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
