A campaign Twitter account for Ron DeSantis’ 2024 presidential bid is being criticized for marking the end of Pride Month on Friday by sharing a video slamming Republican rival Donald Trump’s previous promise to protect LGBTQ rights.
DeSantis War Room – the Florida governor’s “Rapid Response” campaign account – reposted the video from another Twitter account named “Proud Elephant,” with the caption, “To wrap up ‘Pride Month,’ let’s hear from the politician who did more than any other Republican to celebrate it…”
The video paints the former president as sympathetic toward transgender rights and features a clip from his acceptance speech at the 2016 Republican convention – just over a month after the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando – in which he says, “I will do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens.”
The video also features other clips of Trump allegedly expressing support for LGBTQ rights, such as an openness to allowing Caitlyn Jenner, a transgender woman, to use the bathroom of her choice at Trump Tower and to including transgender women in Miss Universe, a beauty pageant he previously owned.
The video contrasts DeSantis from Trump with images depicting recent measures enacted by DeSantis that have curbed LGBTQ protections in the state.
CNN has not independently verified the authenticity of all the clips used in the video.
As CNN previously reported, years before he ran for president, Trump welcomed and praised the inclusion of transgender women in the Miss Universe pageant. But as he looks to secure the 2024 Republican nomination, the former president has promised to “ban” transgender athletes from playing on women’s sports teams and to make gender-affirming surgery for minors illegal if he returns to the White House.
Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung slammed…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply