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Florida Governor and 2024 presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis has faced ridicule for his comeback over rumors he wore heel lifts in his boots to make him appear taller.
The rumors spread on social media and were aided by former President Donald Trump, who is the DeSantis' biggest rival for the GOP nomination.
On October 9, Trump shared images on his Truth Social platform from DeSantis' appearance on Real Time With Bill Maher, which showed his boots.
"Tell me he's not wearing hidden heels," Trump captioned the post.
DeSantis responded to Trump's tweet during an interview on Newsmax's The Balance program on Thursday.
"I know Donald Trump and a lot of his people have been focusing on things like footwear. I'll tell ya this: if Donald Trump can summon the balls to show up to show up to the debate, I'll wear a boot on my head. This is the time for substance," said DeSantis of Trump's absence from GOP presidential debates.
But he has been mocked by comedian John Oliver on his weekly show, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.
After watching a clip of DeSantis' interview, an incredulous Oliver argued, "you can't claim it was a time for substance just after promising to wear a boot on your head, but second, you're so bad at this."
"Even if you weren't running against one of the world's greatest bullies, it looks so pathetic that you thought that was a good comeback. Never before has a politician had such 'kid with the rolling backpack wearing a tie to class' energy," Oliver joked.
During the Newsmax interview, DeSantis also made other comments on the rumors about his footwear.
"This is no time for foot fetishes," DeSantis said. "We've got serious problems as a country. We've got a war in the Middle East. We've got terrorists coming across our own southern border. We have an American dream that's out of reach for millions of Americans because of the Biden inflation and the high energy prices. We've got schools that are indoctrinating kids, not educating kids. We've got cities that are being overrun by crime."
Trump continued to mock DeSantis' "BootGate" drama in a statement saying it has "longer legs than Ron DeSanctimonious," and argued he had become the "butt of every single joke" in the national media.
"Will Ron keep on wearing his high heels on Wednesday night, or will he switch to something sassier like platform shoes more appropriate for a contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race?" Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said.
About the writer
Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more