Ron DeSantis Defends LGBTQ+ Attack Ad After Tidal Wave of Backlash

Ron DeSantis spoke out in defense of a controversial video a group of his supporters shared criticizing Donald Trump for being too friendly towards the LGBTQ+ community, with the Florida governor describing the ex-president as "a pioneer in injecting gender ideology into the mainstream."

The Florida Republican made the remarks during an appearance on conservative influencer Tomi Lahren's OutKick show, which was tweeted out on Wednesday.

Polling indicates DeSantis is Trump's most dangerous rival for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, though he remains some distance behind the ex-president. The GOP rivals are already fighting a bitter campaign, with Trump earlier this year boosting a post that accused DeSantis of "grooming" without providing any solid evidence.

On June 30, the DeSantis War Room Twitter account, which describes itself as the Florida governor's "rapid response" operation, shared an attack video aimed at Trump, describing him as "the politician who did more than any other Republican to celebrate" Pride Month.

The video features stock footage of Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention vowing to "do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens," along with photos of him with Republican transgender television personality Caitlyn Jenner, and holding up an "LGBTs for Trump" rainbow flag.

It's contrasted with DeSantis, who receives an ultra-macho portrayal, with footage of the governor interspaced with figures such as Achilles, as portrayed by Brad Pitt in the 2004 movie Troy, and fictional gangster Tommy Shelby from the British TV show Peaky Blinders. These are combined with news headlines, such as one which said: "DeSantis Signs 'Most Extreme Slate of Anti-Trans Laws in Modern History.'"

DeSantis defended the video, which received more than 24 million views when asked by Lahren about criticism it received from both Trump supporters and LGBTQ+ campaigners.

He said: "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 because he's now campaigning saying the opposite, that he doesn't think you should have women competing in men's things like athletics.

"We've been very clear on it, we believe in protecting the rights of our girls and the rights of women athletes to be able to participate with fairness and with integrity, and 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, clearly in schools, but I think even beyond that."

Newsweek reached out to Donald Trump's office via his press inquiry form for comment.

Critics of the DeSantis video included Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who is gay.

Appearing on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday Buttigieg said: "I'm going to leave aside the strangeness of trying to prove your manhood by putting up a video that splices images of you in between oiled-up shirtless bodybuilders and just get to the bigger issue that is on my mind whenever I see this stuff in the policy space, which is, again, who are you trying to help? Who are you trying to make better off?"

Jenner also condemned the video, saying DeSantis had "hit a new low" and insisting: "You can't win a general, let alone 2028 by going after people that are integral parts of the conservative movement!"