Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., dismissed movies of him serving to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis put together for a debate throughout his 2018 marketing campaign, which ABC Information leaked on Sunday, with a joke concerning the weight each males have misplaced.
When one consumer identified how a lot weight Gaetz had misplaced since 2018, noting that he “appears to be like like a distinct individual,” the Florida Republican responded by saying DeSantis additionally misplaced weight.
“We used to cease at Wawa method an excessive amount of on that 2018 marketing campaign,” Gaetz wrote on Twitter. “Extra veggies lately!”
The joke got here amid some backlash Gaetz is receiving from DeSantis’ supporters and people of former President Donald Trump.
FLORIDA REPS. GUS BILIRAKIS, MICHAEL WALTZ ENDORSE TRUMP OVER DESANTIS IN 2024 ELECTION: ‘THE RIGHT LEADER’
US Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, from Florida, has endorsed former President Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election. (SUZANNE CORDEIRO/AFP by way of Getty Pictures)
The movies present DeSantis and Gaetz discussing how one can talk the governor’s variations with then-President Trump with out angering his supporters.
Gaetz, a former adviser of DeSantis, has emerged as a public ally of Trump and has endorsed him for president.
“I ran the Desantis Debate Prep in 2018,” Gaetz mentioned on Twitter, initially responding to the movies. “Although I choose Trump for President (bigly), the discharge of those movies by the individual working the digital camera is disloyal hackery that I don’t abide. Staffers who leak on the candidates they’ve carried out work for deserve the reputations they get.”
REP. GAETZ DOUBLES DOWN ON BRINGING US TROOPS HOME FROM SOMALIA: ‘NOT A VITAL NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERN’
The DeSantis camp additionally pushed again on the discharge of the movies, saying they present an “genuine” DeSantis even behind closed doorways.
“One other swing and a miss from Disney-funded ABC,” Dave Abrams, a spokesman for DeSantis’ political staff, advised Fox Information Digital. “The very best their propaganda machine may do with the two.5 hours of leaked footage is additional [proof] that Ron DeSantis is unwilling to be anybody however his genuine self – regardless of the politics.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Titusville. (Paul Hennessy/SOPA Pictures/LightRocket by way of Getty Pictures)
DeSantis is predicted to announce his candidacy for the 2024 presidency as early as subsequent week, organising a major contest towards Trump.
Trump has secured key endorsements of Florida Republicans, together with Gaetz in addition to Reps. Byron Donalds, Gus Bilirakis, Michael Waltz, Vern Buchanan, Anna Paulina Luna, Cory Mills, John Rutherford, and Greg Steube.
SEN. STEVE DAINES, LEE ZELDIN ENDORSE TRUMP TO BE NEXT PRESIDENT: ‘BEST FOUR YEARS’
Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures throughout a spherical of golf at his Turnberry course on Could 2, 2023, in Turnberry, Scotland. (Robert Perry/Getty Pictures)
Greater than 40 members of the Home of Representatives and no less than 9 U.S. Senators have endorsed Trump for president. DeSantis has not but introduced his marketing campaign however three representatives have publicly supported him.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
DeSantis narrowly received his 2018 gubernatorial contest towards Democratic nominee Andrew Gillum with each candidates receiving greater than 4 million votes. Gillum is presently below investigation for allegedly pocketing marketing campaign money and illegally receiving items through the contest.
Fox Information’ Patrick Hauf contributed to this report.
