Team DeSantis responded to an ABC News report on Sunday showing footage of Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., preparing for his 2018 gubernatorial run and said it was "another swing and a miss from Disney-funded ABC."
ABC News obtained recordings of DeSantis' debate preparation for his 2018 run for governor. The outlet reported that the recordings of DeSantis show a "glimpse" of how he appealed to Donald Trump's base while "also working to carve out his own lane as a candidate."
"Another swing and a miss from Disney-funded ABC. The best their propaganda machine could do with the 2.5 hours of leaked footage is further prove that Ron DeSantis is unwilling to be anyone but his authentic self — no matter the politics," Dave Abrams, a spokesman for DeSantis' political team, told Fox News Digital in a statement.
ABC noted an exchange between Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and DeSantis during debate preparation in 2018.
RON DESANTIS' 2024 WARNING - ‘THE LEFT IS PLAYING FOR KEEPS’
"Is there any issue upon which you disagree with President Trump?" Gaetz asked DeSantis, according to ABC News.
"I have to figure out how to do this," DeSantis, a congressional representative at the time, responded while letting out a "deep sigh," the outlet reported.
"Obviously there is because, I mean, I voted contrary to him in the Congress," DeSantis said, according to ABC. "I have to frame it in a way that's not going to piss off all his voters."
DeSantis said he would speak to Trump in "private" if he had a disagreement, according to ABC.
RON DESANTIS TO LAUNCH 2024 PRESIDENTIAL EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE NEXT MONTH: REPORT
Gaetz reacted to the ABC report on Twitter and said the release of the footage is "disloyal hackery."
"I ran the Desantis Debate Prep in 2018. Though I prefer Trump for President (bigly), the release of these videos by the person operating the camera is disloyal hackery that I do not abide. Staffers who leak on the candidates they’ve done work for deserve the reputations they get," he wrote.
DeSantis said Friday that he would decide "relatively soon" whether he would officially launch a presidential bid and challenge the former president.
"What happens in the future? We’ll get on that relatively soon. You either gotta put or shut up on that as well. So we'll see," DeSantis said during a recent news conference.
Trump has been widely critical of DeSantis throughout his 2024 campaign.
A Fox News Poll from the end of April found that Trump is currently leading the Republican primary field. Trump leads with 53% support among Republican primary voters, followed by DeSantis at 21%, Mike Pence at 6%, Nikki Haley at 4%, Vivek Ramaswamy at 3%, and Tim Scott and Liz Cheney at 2% each.
