Tony Sabio showed up to the Arlington County Fair last week with a campaign sign that read, "America's greatest days are still ahead of us."
That was enough.
Sabio is the Republican candidate for Virginia's 8th Congressional District and previously served in the Navy, Secret Service, and CIA. Amy DeLaura recorded the exchange and posted the video Thursday.
DeLaura said the fairgoer had already asked Sabio why he was “too scared” to use Trump’s “MAGA” slogan.
The video starts a few seconds into their conversation.
OUT OF NOWHERE a transgender fairgoer drops an "F*** YOU" to Virginia Republican @tony_sabio for the message on his yard sign: America's greatest days are still ahead of us.
— Amy DeLaura (@AmyDeLaura) August 15, 2026
WATCH the bizarre interaction below.@dcexaminer pic.twitter.com/FV5QwNS8jd
Fairgoer: “Yeah, so like, why too scared to like associate with him?”
Sabio: “Who said I’m scared?”
Fairgoer: “Me. You scared to associate with the big man?”
Sabio: “This is my logo of what I feel.”
Sabio was referring to the campaign sign behind him, which reads, “America’s greatest days are still ahead of us.”
Just before this the fairgoer asked if @tony_sabio was "too scared" to use @POTUS Donald Trump's slogan of "MAGA." pic.twitter.com/9qlorc8o6M
— Amy DeLaura (@AmyDeLaura) August 15, 2026
That apparently did not improve the fairgoer’s mood.
Fairgoer: “You’re so original, aren’t you?”
Sabio: “I am.”
Fairgoer: “You’re so cool. You’re such a cool person. Yeah. Yeah. You’re so interesting.”
Then came the goodbye.
Fairgoer: “Yeah, f**k you too.”
Sabio: “All right. Hey. Have a great day.”
Fairgoer: “Hope you don’t.”
Sabio: “I will.”
Stirring stuff.
Matthew Hurtt, chairman of the Arlington County Republican Committee, later shared the video with his own take, which has never been truer:
Never a dull moment as an Arlington Republican. https://t.co/FuE8572u4O
— Matthew Hurtt (@matthewhurtt) August 15, 2026
Sabio is running against Democrat Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08) in Virginia's 8th Congressional District, a seat Beyer has held since 2015. The district covers Arlington County, Alexandria, Falls Church, and part of Fairfax County; deep-blue territory.
Sabio ran unopposed in the Aug. 4 Republican primary. Beyer defeated four Democrat challengers the same day with roughly 68 percent of the vote. They will face each other in the Nov. 3 general election.
Read More: 'Never Lived Here, Still Voting': Virginia’s Election Loophole Heads to Court
Sabio, 51, spent more than 15 years in federal service, working with and in the Navy, the Secret Service, and the CIA before moving into the private sector. He has lived in Virginia since 2002 and previously ran for the Fairfax County School Board.
His "Promise for America" platform has five parts covering energy, jobs, small businesses, public safety, and healthcare. Sabio said he put it together after talking with people in the district.
“The Promise for America was built off conversation with people and understanding what their needs are,” Sabio said. “Congress has lost sight of that. It’s about what we do to serve the people.”
Sabio knows the math. A Republican doesn't win the 8th without crossover voters, and he says he's running on that premise. "There's more that unites us than divides us," he told DeLaura.
The Arlington County Fair offered a pretty good look at what he's working with. Sabio's sign didn't mention Trump, didn't say MAGA, didn't go after anybody. The fairgoer brought all of it up anyway, cursed at him, and told him she hoped his day went badly. Sabio told her to have a great one.
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