WASHINGTON — Comedian Trevor Noah suggested that Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is trying to “outmaneuver” former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
The comedian headlined the White House Correspondents’ Association gala Saturday evening at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., where he leveled shots at the press and politicians alike.
“What a room this is! Everyone is here tonight,” he said. “We’ve got politicians. We’ve got the media, we’ve got celebrities. Basically anyone who has been to Jeffrey Epstein’s island. This is an exclusive event.”
“Many big names here tonight,” he continued. “One of my favorites, Ron DeSantis is here. I’m actually surprised that he found the time. You know, he has been so busy trying to outmaneuver Trump for 2024.”
“I see you, Ron,” Noah told the Florida governor, who has thus far steered clear of saying whether he would run in 2024. “I see you, player! I see what you’ve been doing! Blaming Trump for the lockdowns, distancing yourself from the vaccines that Trump created with his own two hands.”
DeSantis, however, wasn’t in attendance, and has since made that abundantly clear.
“I would never attend that. Have no interest in that. Did not watch it. I don’t care what they do,” said the Florida governor on Monday. “For them to advertise me when that invitation was rejected by my office, that is a lie. Here they are saying how important they are that they are somehow these paragons of truth, yet they are lying about something that is readily verifiable.”
At the dinner, Noah also imitated Trump’s voice, saying, “Nobody knew how to make vaccines until I made them, beautiful, beautiful vaccines. Nobody knew how. Not even Fauci.”
The comedian then continued, “But Ron — Ron is playing it coy, man. He won’t even tell people if he got the booster. Or as they say in Florida, don’t ask, don’t tell, am I right? I see you, Ron.”
“You see,” Noah said, “what I like about Ron DeSantis is like, if Trump was the original terminator, DeSantis is like the T-1000. You’re smarter than him, you’re slicker than him, you can walk down ramps.”
Though Trump said he won the election, Noah said, “everyone was just able to look at the numbers and see that he was wrong.”
“That’s why Ron DeSantis is one step ahead,” he continued. “First you ban the math textbooks then nobody knows how to count the votes.”
“Boom, my man,” Noah said, laughing out loud as he concluded his DeSantis bit.
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This article has been updated to include comment from Ron DeSantis.