Republican presidential hopeful Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Sunday took aim at former President Trump for suggesting his choice to debate Hillary Clinton after the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape was released in 2016 was braver than soldiers’ experiences on the battlefield.
“Trump denigrates military service by claiming it is ‘braver’ that he debated Hillary Clinton than what soldiers endure on the battlefield,” DeSantis wrote on X, formerly Twitter, responding to a clip from Trump’s speech at the New York Young Republican Club annual gala Saturday night.
“Debating isn’t ‘brave’; it’s the bare minimum any candidate should do. Hiding from debates, on the other hand, is an example of cowardice,” DeSantis added.
Speaking at the annual gala Saturday, Trump recalled his decision to debate Clinton just after an audio clip leaked with Trump claiming his fame awarded him the ability to grab women by their genitals without consequence.
Trump claimed that after that debate, a general praised him for the bravery he showed.
“But I went onto that stage just a few days later. And a general, who’s a fantastic general, actually, said to me, ‘Sir, I’ve been on the battlefield, men have gone down on my left and on my right. I stood on hills with soldiers who were killed. But I believe the bravest thing I’ve ever seen was the night you went onto that stage with Hillary Clinton after what happened,’” Trump said during Saturday’s speech.
“And then that woman asked you the first question about it. And I said, ‘Locker room talk! It’s locker room talk! What the hell?’” Trump recalled.
Trump is the top GOP candidate in the 2024 presidential race, leading by more than 40 points in many polls nationally. DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley are in a tight race for second place.
In a statement to The Hill, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign of “regurgitating Democrat talking points.”
“Ron DeSanctimonious is having a meltdown of epic proportions by regurgitating Democrat talking points. The fact is that Ron’s getting blown out in every single poll and nothing he has done up to this point has changed his almost non-existent standing with voters,” the spokesperson said in the statement.
Updated at 11:32 a.m.