- An old Ron DeSantis campaign video is making the rounds on Twitter.
- In the 2018 clip, DeSantis calls himself a "pitbull Trump defender."
An old campaign ad for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in which he brands himself a "pitbull Trump defender," is making the rounds on Twitter.
The video was posted by liberal-leaning Twitter account Patriot Takes on Sunday. At press time, the 30-second clip had been viewed more than 60,000 times.
The ad, which dates back to 2018, shows DeSantis playing with his children. In the spot, his wife, Casey DeSantis, touts him as not only a candidate backed by former President Donald Trump, but an "amazing dad."
At one point in the ad, DeSantis can be seen sitting in an armchair reading Trump's book, "The Art of the Deal," to one of his children.
"Then, Mr. Trump said, 'You're fired!' I love that part," DeSantis says in the clip as the words "pitbull Trump defender" flash on screen.
Never forget that Ron DeSantis made an ad with his baby in a MAGA onesie and called himself a “pitbull Trump defender.” pic.twitter.com/VhXLFFDu7p
— PatriotTakes (@patriottakes) November 13, 2022
In the video, DeSantis encourages one of his children to "build the wall" by stacking toy bricks. He's also seen showing one of his kids a Trump campaign sign, seemingly teaching the child to read the words "Make America Great Again."
DeSantis won his 2018 gubernatorial race, fueling the former president's claim that a Trump endorsement helped him win the governorship.
The 2018 ad is circulating online at an interesting juncture in the governor's relationship with the former president. Last week, Trump excoriated DeSantis on social media, calling the Florida governor "average" and accusing him of disloyalty. He also took credit for DeSantis' political rise.
In keeping with his habit of giving political rivals unflattering nicknames, the former president this month also dubbed the governor "Ron DeSanctimonious."
Last week, a source close to DeSantis told The New York Post that the Florida governor is ignoring Trump's jabs because he knows there's "no upside to rolling around in the mud with Trump."
DeSantis and Trump are the leading contenders for the 2024 Republican presidential ticket. Neither man has declared that he will run in 2024, though Trump on November 8 teased that he would be making making an announcement in a "very, very, very short period of time."
As for DeSantis, he did not commit to serving four full years as governor during a debate in October. A DeSantis representative told Insider in July that the governor is "focused on Florida and running for reelection as governor this year."
Representatives for DeSantis and Trump did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.