A Twitter account for Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign hit back at an MSNBC guest host who said the governor may not appeal to voters because Florida is “all crystal meth and alligators.”
“MSNBC contributor @DrJasonJohnson claimed that when people think of Florida, they mostly think of ‘crystal meth and alligators.’ Dr. Johnson would know all about that, because he came to Florida to campaign for Andrew Gillum, later found passed out in a hotel with crystal meth,” DeSantis War Room wrote in a Twitter post.
While guest hosting “The ReidOut” on Tuesday, MSNBC contributor Jason Johnson claimed that DeSantis would not appeal to voters on a national level if he decides to run for president because of how voters from other states view Florida.
“You run from Florida, it’s all crystal meth and alligators, right? I mean, that’s what people think,” Johnson said. “And I’m not saying that’s the case. I’m saying those are sort of the national reputations of those states.”
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“So, when you see Ron DeSantis running and claiming that he’s going to do for America what he’s done in Florida, it seems like that’d be a problem,” he said.
The host was trying to explain how presidential candidates may be perceived differently depending on the reputation of the state they are running from.
“”In my view, there are three states that you can’t really run from if you’re trying to win across America. You run from New York, you’re too crazy, you’re a liberal. You run from California, you’re too crazy, you’re liberal, and you’re trying to make sure I can’t get plastic straws,” Johnson said.
Andrew Gillum was the Democratic nominee for Florida governor in 2018, and after he lost to DeSantis, the former Tallahassee mayor took a job with CNN. In 2020, Gillum entered rehab after police found him unresponsive in a Miami Beach hotel room with two other men, and officers discovered what they believed to be crystal methamphetamine. While he denied using drugs, Gillum did admit to struggling with alcohol.
DeSantis is rumored to be considering a presidential run but has not announced a 2024 campaign for the White House.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is a top contender for the 2024 presidential nomination. (Lynne Sladky / File)
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In an attempt to back his claim, Johnson played a clip in which DeSantis said that Florida police departments would not be defunded. Johnson also referred to a clip of the governor saying that he not only wants his state to do well, he wants the whole country to thrive.
