
This ‘Scandalous’ Photo of Ron DeSantis Is Only Making Conservatives Love Him More
A left-wing news site published a photo Monday that purportedly shows Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis partying with students when he was a teacher at a Georgia boarding school.
SO WHAT
The media’s attempts to take down former President Donald Trump’s heir apparent keep backfiring.
WHAT HAPPENED
Stephen Miller and other Twitter conservative commentators were impressed with the Hill Reporter’s old photo of DeSantis surrounded by young women, but not in the way the outlet intended.
An absolute hero. https://t.co/i3XXY6RMhN
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) October 25, 2021
“The only scandal here is his haircut,” quipped former National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch, referencing DeSantis’ “Caesar” hairdo in the image.
- Others pointed to the flimsiness of the journalism by the Hill Reporter’s Steph Bazzle.
- Much of the left effectively conceded the point by ignoring the story, though a number of liberals did highlight the photo on social media to try to shame DeSantis.
THE REPORT
According to the report, DeSantis was photographed “with underage girls” from the Darlington School at a “drinking party” during the 2001-2002 school year, when the students were seniors.
- But the report mostly relies on a single anonymous source who provided the photo and fails to establish that the students were in fact underage or drinking at the time.
- The”whistleblower” said DeSantis had a “reputation among students for being a young ‘hot teacher’ who girls loved.”
- “Though DeSantis would have been only about five years older than some high school seniors, the five years between a high schooler and a college graduate denote a significant experience gap, especially alongside the fact that DeSantis would have been in a position of authority over the students,” Bazzle wrote.
- DeSantis, a Yale University graduate, “went on to Harvard Law School, military service, and a political career.”
MEANWHILE
DeSantis — whose repeated clashes with the media have helped propel him to national GOP stardom — outraged pundits by saying Monday, “We all know corporate media lies, OK?” They do not tell the truth. Assume what they tell you is false and then figure out why they’re telling you a false narrative.”
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a regular on "corporate media" shows like Maria Bartiromo's, says "we all know corporate media lies, OK? They do not tell the truth. Assume what they tell you is false and then figure out why they're telling you a false narrative."
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) October 26, 2021