On Tuesday, Florida Governor and now presidential candidate Ron DeSantis joined libertarian TV presenter John Stossel to debate his plans.
In a stunning assertion, DeSantis urged that his 2018 main marketing campaign advert that includes the slogan “Construct the Wall” was meant to be “satirical,” Florida Politics first reported.
The advert, which featured DeSantis performing like a Donald Trump mini-me instructing his baby how you can “construct the wall” and studying from Donald Trump’s guide, “The Artwork of the Deal,” was meant to control the media into discussing his marketing campaign.
“Properly, when you watch that, I imply, you recognize, it was a satirical advert,” mentioned DeSantis.
Including, “It was somewhat tongue in cheek, however that was, you recognize, a few years in the past.”
He asserted that the ‘Construct the Wall’ advert was a strategic transfer designed to take advantage of media consideration and drive discussions round his candidacy.
“I used to be operating and we needed to get some notoriety. And so I knew if we did that, that it might trigger the press to go berserk, and what they’d do is they’d be outraged by it, however they’d preserve enjoying it and so individuals would see,” he mentioned.
“I don’t even understand how a lot cash we paid to run it, however the media ran it for us as a result of they had been so upset, you recognize, that it was a pro-Trump advert.”
Watch the advert under:
The governor’s assertion has raised eyebrows and prompted a wave of criticism from political opponents.
“Actually? The assist of Donald Trump evoked on this advert was essential within the nomination of Ron DeSantis for Governor in 2018,” mentioned Roger Stone.
“Ron DeSantis says his 2018 Donald Trump tribute advert was ‘satirical.’ In different phrases, he by no means supported Trump or MAGA however used them to get elected. MAGA gained’t neglect!” mentioned Alex Bruesewitz, political advisor and CEO of X Methods.
“So principally Ron DeSantis ADMITS to mendacity to voters to get elected. What a chunk of labor,” mentioned Steven Cheung, a political advisor who served within the Trump administration.
President Trump referred to as DeSantis disloyal and argued his political profession would have been over had he not acquired his endorsement throughout his profitable 2018 marketing campaign.
“He was useless as a canine, he was a useless politician. He would have been working maybe for a regulation agency or doing one thing else,” mentioned Trump in Iowa final March.
Trump additionally mentioned this throughout an interview with Hannity: “I acquired him the nomination. By the way in which, he may have by no means gotten the nomination. He could be working in both a pizza parlor place or a regulation workplace proper now.”
