A crowd for Ron DeSantis didn’t seem particularly excited for his arrival on stage in Oklahoma on Saturday night.
In an awkward moment, Republican Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt had to propel the crowd to cheers when he announced the arrival of his Florida counterpart who is running for president in 2024.
It came just after Stitt became the first U.S. governor to officially endorse DeSantis’ 2024 Republican presidential primary bid.
“Oklahomans love Ron DeSantis!” said Stit.
While the majority of the crowd remained silent, a man yelled, “That’s right.”
“Let’s ask for an ‘Amen, brother,'” Stitt urged, trying to stir up more enthusiasm.
The crowd complied with the request with a common “Amen” and a few scattered claps and cheers.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt asked a crowd to “give amen” after they seemed less than thrilled when he introduced Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Saturday night
The crowd warmed up a bit when DeSantis took the stage — after Stitt became the first governor to endorse the 2024 nominee
The clip is a throwback to a viral moment during the 2016 Republican primary, when then-candidate Jeb Bush begged a crowd to clap for him during a stupid speech in New Hampshire.
“I think the next president needs to be a lot quieter, but send a signal that we are willing to act in the interests of the national security of this country – to get back to work on creating a more peaceful world.” Bush said at the press conference. the time when he was met with absolute crickets from the audience.
Aggravated and defeated, the 2016 candidate sighed, “Please clap.”
Although he did applaud, it was mainly laughter and the clip, which immediately went viral on social media and was viewed millions of times.
Twitter users pointed out that the awkward exchange Stitt had with the Oklahoma mob reminded them of Bush’s viral moment.
“Stitt: Please Clap (Jeb Bush vibes),” Pastors 4 Trump founder tweeted, along with a prediction: “Oklahoma goes for TRUMP.”
Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis accompanied her husband on Saturday’s trip to Oklahoma
However, DeSantis seemed to court the Oklahoma public and even earned his first endorsement from a fellow governor in Stitt.
Oklahoma did not vote for Trump as the Republican nominee in 2016, opting instead for then-senatorial nominee Ted Cruz by a margin of nearly 6 percent over the eventual president.
Stitt praised DeSantis for his response to COVID-19 at the candidate’s first 2024 campaign rally in the Sooner State.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump was in North Carolina on Saturday night to launch even more attacks against his No. 1 Republican primary rival, admitting he was “not very nice” to Florida’s governor.
“Governor DeSantis is a strong conservative and principled leader, and I am proud to support him as president,” Governor Stitt said outside the venue for DeSantis’ rally in his state on Saturday.
Casey holds son Mason, 5, as Governor DeSantis orders a snow cone for the family of five at the Ponca, Oklahoma rodeo on Saturday
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt became the first U.S. governor to endorse Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his Republican presidential primary. Pictured: The two governors appeared side by side at a rally in Oklahoma on Saturday
Meanwhile, Donald Trump attacked DeSantis during his remarks at the North Carolina state GOP convention on Saturday — including admitting he’s “not nice” to Florida’s governor
“As fellow governors during COVID, DeSantis has not surrendered states’ rights and individual freedoms to groupthink,” he added. “In this election cycle, the people of Oklahoma will remember that DeSantis was one of the few who never backed down in the face of adversity, because DeSantis operated with unwavering conviction and shared our values of limited government and a free country.”
Florida’s governor has received five endorsements in the House: Representatives Chip Roy of Texas; Thomas Massie of Kentucky; Laurel Lee from Florida; Bob Good from Virginia; and Rich McCormick of Georgia.
No senators in the upper chamber of Congress have yet expressed support for DeSantis.
Trump, by far the frontrunner of 2024, has so far received much more support from politicians and lawmakers.
In the Senate, Trump has already received nine endorsements from South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham; JD Vance from Ohio; Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty of Tennessee; Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi; Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma; Tommy Tuberville of Alabama; Eric Schmitt of Missouri; and Ted Budd from North Carolina.
In the House, 45 congressmen and women have endorsed Trump.
The former president has repeatedly berated and attacked DeSantis for “disloyalty” for acting against him after Trump’s backing took him to Florida’s Governor’s Mansion in 2018.
Trump said he finds it difficult to say “DeSantis” because he has used alternate nicknames for him for so long, such as “DeSanctis” and “DeSanctimonious.”
In a moment when he was “trying to be serious” in a recent interview, Trump admitted to the North Carolina mob that he accidentally said “DeSanctis.”
DeSantis threw campaign hats to a crowd in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday, June 10