(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Leaked old debate practice videos from Governor Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., appeared online, showing his thoughts on how to deal with then-sitting U.S. President Donald Trump and his voters.
The 2018 prep footage, obtained by ABC News, also features Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who asked DeSantis, then a U.S. representative on whether he would disagree with Trump.
“Is there any issue upon which you disagree with President Trump,” Gaetz asked DeSantis, to which the governor answered, “Obviously there is because I mean I voted contrary to him.”
DeSantis cautioned about not angering Trump voters.
“I have to frame it in a way that is not going to piss off all his voters,” DeSantis said. “So, what I do is that I do what I think is right. I support his agenda in terms of what he’s been able to do. If I have disagreements with him, I will talk to him in private.”
ABC News claimed to have obtained nearly two and a half hours of never-before-seen footage of the Florida governor.
The DeSantis team brushed aside the leak, calling it a leftist media hit.
“Another swing and a miss from Disney-funded ABC,” DeSantis spokesperson Dave Abrams told Fox News Digital.
“The best their propaganda machine could do with the 2.5 hours of leaked footage is further prove that Ron DeSantis is unwilling to be anyone but his authentic self — no matter the politics,” the spokesperson continued.
Gaetz torched ABC News and the leaker behind the footage, dubbing it “disloyal hackery.”
“I ran the Desantis Debate Prep in 2018. Though I prefer Trump for President (bigly), the release of these videos by the person operating the camera is disloyal hackery that I do not abide,” the Florida congressman said on Sunday.
He also added, “Staffers who leak on the candidates they’ve done work for deserve the reputations they get.”
I ran the Desantis Debate Prep in 2018.
Though I prefer Trump for President (bigly), the release of these videos by the person operating the camera is disloyal hackery that I do not abide.
Staffers who leak on the candidates they’ve done work for deserve the reputations they… https://t.co/3FsmbLbtab
— Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) May 7, 2023
