The tweet criticizing the 44-year-old Florida governor has gone viral, with fellow candidates accusing him of resorting to desperate tactics in the Republican primaries.
The ad, which was posted on the pro-DeSantis Twitter account "DeSantis War Room," featured footage of rival Donald Trump, 77, making statements in support of the LGBTQ community.
July 08, 2023
The ad mocked Trump's pro-LGBTQ stance by juxtaposing his statements with news clips accusing DeSantis of supporting anti-LGBTQ policies.
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The ad also included footage of iconic movie anti-heroes, including Christian Bale's character in "American Psycho" and Cillian Murphy's character Tommy Shelby in "Peaky Blinders."
July 08, 2023
The showrunners of "Peaky Blinders" were not pleased with the unauthorized use of footage from their series.
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They took to Twitter to express their disapproval, stating that the footage of Tommy Shelby's character was used without permission.
They made it clear that they do not support or endorse the ad's narrative and strongly disapprove of the use of their content in this manner.
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DeSantis also faced condemnation from fellow conservatives, including the Log Cabin Republicans, a group that represents LGBT conservatives and allies.
They criticized DeSantis for alienating swing-state and younger voters with his extreme rhetoric, which they deemed to be homophobic.
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It remains unclear whether DeSantis approved the ad or is affiliated with the Twitter account that posted it.
The controversy comes as DeSantis trails far behind Trump in the Republican primaries. Despite being federally indicted last month, Trump maintains a significant lead over DeSantis in the polls.
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One notable pro-Trump conservative, Caitlyn Jenner, also criticized DeSantis' ad. Jenner, who is running for governor of California, stated that DeSantis' low position in the polls does not justify such cheap shots.
She reaffirmed her commitment to being an outspoken Republican and MAGA voice, emphasizing that DeSantis has bigger problems than his homophobic ad.
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Interestingly, Trump himself has faced criticism in the past for invoking pop culture in his communications.
In 2018, HBO took issue with Trump's tweet featuring a photo of himself with the caption "Sanctions are Coming," a play on the famous phrase "Winter is coming" from the hit series "Game of Thrones."
These developments may impact DeSantis' standing in the polls and his ability to appeal to swing-state and younger voters.
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