Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) prompted laughter during a recent interview when he struggled with the idea of being stranded on a deserted island with either President Joe Biden or Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
The video, which was posted Wednesday morning by Florida’s Voice, showed DeSantis reacting to Florida’s Voice Founder and Editor-in-Chief Brendon Leslie, who asked a question regarding who he might prefer as a companion should he ever find himself in such a predicament.
WATCH:
"Who would you rather be stuck on a deserted island with – President Brandon, or AOC?"
RON DESANTIS: "Could I just end the misery right now and have my maker call me back?" pic.twitter.com/kxOF6UcJGC
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) July 20, 2022
The interview covered a broad range of topics — from Florida’s response to the COVID pandemic and vaccine mandates to the political climate going into November’s midterm elections — but Leslie hit DeSantis with the money question right out of the gate.
“First question: Who would you rather be stuck on a deserted island with — President Brandon or AOC?” Leslie asked.
DeSantis responded first with a chuckle, then asked, “I mean, ah, could I just end the misery right now and have my Maker call me back?”
Leslie, laughing at the governor’s response, continued with the next question: “Who would you rather go to bat against? Tampa Bay’s pitcher and all-star Shane McClanahan or the mainstream media?”
That question — rooted in DeSantis’ history as a four-year starter and senior-year captain of his baseball team at Yale — prompted a slightly more serious response from the Republican governor.
“Oh, I mean like — you know, look, I was a pretty good hitter in baseball — but the mainstream media, I mean, you know we know how to fight back against them and so I’m happy for that challenge any time they want to throw it to me.”
DeSantis has often gone toe-to-toe with the media, often challenging reporters directly when he does not like the framing of their questions.
During a March press conference, for example, a reporter asked DeSantis about Florida’s newly enacted law concerning parental rights in education — which a number of critics have falsely labeled “Don’t Say Gay.”
WATCH:
JUST NOW: I asked @GovRonDeSantis if he supported HB 1557, the legislation critics call the 'Don't Say Gay' bill.https://t.co/CGiooSrKYn @WFLA https://t.co/H34CGSj7BJ pic.twitter.com/C518l1QaC3
— Evan Donovan (@EvanDonovan) March 7, 2022
Reporter Evan Donovan, referring to the bill by its false label, asked the governor if he supported it.
“Does it say that that in the bill?” DeSantis interrupted.
“I know that you support —” Donovan tried again.
“Does it say that in the bill?” DeSantis repeated the question.
“I’m asking —” Donovan protested.
“I’m asking you to tell me what’s in the bill, because you are pushing false narratives,” DeSantis pushed back. “It doesn’t matter what critics say.”
“It bans classroom instruction on sexual identity and gender orientation,” Donovan continued.
“For who?” DeSantis asked. “For grades pre-k through three. So five-year-olds, six-year-olds, seven-year-olds — and the idea that you wouldn’t be honest about that and tell people what it actually says, it’s why people don’t trust people like you because you peddle false narratives.”