TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA — Ron DeSantis doubled down on a polarizing campaign ad that attacked Donald Trump’s support for the LGBTQ movement.
The ad included clips of the former president affirming the paradigm of gender fluidity and championing his commitment to “protect our LGBTQ citizens.” It also spotlighted Trump’s willingness to allow men to compete in Miss Universe and Bruce “Caitlyn” Jenner to use the ladies bathroom in Trump tower.
To wrap up “Pride Month,” let’s hear from the politician who did more than any other Republican to celebrate it…
— DeSantis War Room 🐊 (@DeSantisWarRoom) June 30, 2023
pic.twitter.com/FT7LdW4vls
The ad racked up over 24.8 million views on Twitter but received significant pushback. Many in the Republican party who support homosexuality defended the former president’s commitment to making the party more inclusive for gay men and lesbian women.
The Log Cabin Republicans – a group that advocates for the LGBTQ community in the GOP – called the ad “homophobic” and argued that the governor’s “naive policy positions are dangerous and politically stupid.”
As we celebrate LGBT Pride Month and recognize the outstanding contributions LGBT people have made to our great Nation, let us also stand in solidarity with the many LGBT people who live in dozens of countries worldwide that punish, imprison, or even execute individuals....
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2019
DONALD TRUMP: LGBTQ “PIONEER”
On Wednesday, Outkick’s Tomi Lahren asked DeSantis about the controversial ad.
“Yeah look, I think identifying Donald Trump as really being a pioneer in injecting gender ideology into the mainstream – where he was having men compete against women in his beauty pageants – I think that’s totally fair game,” DeSantis told her.
The governor underscored Trump’s inconsistency on the issue, pointing out how his rhetoric has recently shifted.
“He’s now campaigning, saying the opposite, that he doesn’t think that you should have men competing in women’s things like athletics.”
DeSantis also touted his administration’s efforts to combat the LGBTQ agenda in Florida.
“Ultimately, when you talk about some of the gender ideology that’s being unleashed in this country, in the state of Florida we are fighting back against that,” he added. “It’s just a fundamental issue … I think it’s an attack on women’s rights more broadly to say that gender is fluid and I also think it’s an attack on the truth itself.”
