Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) had a crowd cheering when he reacted to former President Donald Trump’s latest attack on him.
During an event on Wednesday, DeSantis faced questions about his proposal to make it easier to sue news outlets for defamation and how it could potentially address Trump’s attacks.
The Florida governor responded by stating his proposal was aimed at helping people who do not have platforms to respond to defamatory stories. He added the proposal was not aimed at helping public officials fight back against defamatory stories.
“It just goes with the territory, you’ve gotta have a thick skin,” Desantis said. “It’s also just, practically speaking, I would not take time out of being governor to be fighting lawsuits.”
Then he turned his attention to the question about the former president’s attacks.
“I spend my time delivering results for the people of Florida and fighting against Joe Biden, that’s how I spend my time,” DeSantis said.
The crowd erupted in cheers following his comments.
He added, “I don’t spend my time trying to smear other Republicans.”
Watch the video below:
BREAKING: DeSantis responds to Trump ReTruth accusing him of being a "groomer"
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) February 8, 2023
"I'd just say this. I spend my time delivering results for the people of Florida and fighting against Joe Biden […] I don't spend my time trying to smear other Republicans." pic.twitter.com/Ddj9Mb1MYj
On Tuesday, Trump shared a post on his Truth Social platform that allegedly featured a picture of DeSantis from his time as a high school teacher.
“Here is Ron DeSanctimonious grooming high school girls with alcohol as a teacher,” the text on the picture read.
Trump wrote, “That’s not Ron, is it? He would never do such a thing!”
DeSantis has not shared whether he plans to run for president in 2024.
However, there is speculation he will enter the race.
Trump has been ramping up his attacks on DeSantis in recent weeks. In November, he rolled out the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious.”
He has also dubbed the governor a “globalist” and a “RINO” — or Republican in name only.