Ron DeSantis slams ‘fake’ and ‘manufactured’ criticism, he’s ‘stiff’ and ‘awkward’ as Fox News host asks him if he should paint a ‘warmer picture’
- Howard Kurtz asked, “You’ve been hearing criticism for months. He’s too stiff.’
- “Some of that is manufactured,” DeSantis responded
- DeSantis has loosened up on the campaign trail lately
Ron DeSantis denounced criticism that he is stiff and clumsy during the campaign, calling it “manufactured” by his political enemies.
Florida’s governor has pushed back on feedback that he should be friendlier, more personable, and have the kind of happy-go-lucky interaction needed during his campaign.
Fox News’ Howard Kurtz asked DeSantis about the criticism in an interview that aired Sunday, telling him, “You’ve been hearing criticism for months. He’s too stiff. Oh, he’s too clumsy. Oh, he doesn’t have the charisma. In retrospect, would it have been better to paint a warmer picture?’
“Well, I think some of that was manufactured,” DeSantis responded, noting that he won his 2022 reelection campaign by a wide margin.
Ron DeSantis said criticism that he is “stiff” on the campaign trail is “manufactured.”
“We’re doing things where I’m, you know, shaking hands,” the Republican presidential candidate added. “I’ve done more retail than anyone else.”
“Did your wife propose,” Kurtz began asking, suggesting that Casey DeSantis, a former local TV host, may have had some feedback.
But DeSantis kept talking: “I think the people who know me know there is a fake story. But there is a seriousness to what we are dealing with in this country right now.”
A campaign memo unveiled last month showed that DeSantis’ advisers had similar concerns about the Florida governor.
DeSantis is trailing Donald Trump by double digits in the polls for the Republican presidential candidate. The former president has a 44-point lead in the league RealClearPolitics poll average.
To help DeSantis overcome his awkward image, the memo suggested he “bring forth a personal anecdote story about family, children, Casey, showing emotion.”
DeSantis has become more interactive on the campaign trail and has begun to embrace the demands of retail politics, including handshakes, selfies and answering many questions from voters.
He also got his family involved. DeSantis has emphasized his youth, his attractive wife and his young children as he tries to sell himself to the American people.
He and Casey took their three children – Madison, Mason, Mamie – to the Iowa State Fair and went to play baseball in the state’s famous “Field of Dreams.” They also took the kids to a rodeo in Reno, Nevada.
Ron and Casey DeSantis at the first Republican presidential primary debate – the two often appear together on the campaign trail
The couple often takes their children on campaign trips; above Ron DeSantis laughs as he rides in a bumper car with his daughter Madison as they hit another car driven by Casey DeSantis, left, and their son Mason at the Iowa State Fair
Ron DeSantis stepped behind a bar in Reno, Nevada, to serve beer to veterans
Even when he’s out solo, DeSantis tries to be more spontaneous.
Florida’s governor handed out Chick-fil-A to first responders in Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia and stepped behind the bar at a VFW outpost in Nevada to donate beer for veterans.