Carlos Beruff, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Florida, repeatedly referred to President Obama as an “animal” at a county GOP meeting, the Huffington Post reports.

Said Beruff: “Unfortunately, for seven and a half years this animal we call president, because he’s an animal, OK — seven and a half years, has surgically and with thought and very smart, intelligent manner, destroyed this country and dismantled the military under not one, not two, but three secretary of defenses. And they’ve all written books about it.”