WASHINGTON听–听Gay Republicans听肠谤颈迟颈肠颈锄别诲听as “homophobic” a听惫颈诲别辞听posted by Republican听辫谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟颈补濒听candidate Ron听顿别厂补苍迟颈蝉‘ campaign highlighting rival Donald Trump’s past statements in support of gay rights, and the former president declined at a rally on Saturday to respond to the attack.
Florida Governor听顿别厂补苍迟颈蝉‘ campaign posted the听惫颈诲别辞听on Twitter late on Friday, saying it marked the end of a month of LGBTQ+ pride celebrations.
“To wrap up Pride Month, let’s hear from the politician who did more than any other Republican to celebrate it,” the campaign said in presenting the听惫颈诲别辞. It contrasted Trump’s 2016 pledge to “do everything in my power to protect our LGBTQ citizens” with Mr. DeSantis‘ own hardline conservatism regarding transgender and other LGBTQ+ rights.
It was unclear who originally produced the听惫颈诲别辞, which featured a montage of muscle-bound men, bolts of electricity flying from Mr. DeSantis‘ eyes, and activists lamenting what they characterized as his efforts to restrict transgender rights.
“This is undeniably homophobic,” Richard Grenell – who was the first openly gay White House Cabinet official as acting director of national intelligence during Trump’s 2017-2021 administration – said on Twitter late on Friday.
As governor, Mr. 顿别厂补苍迟颈蝉听has backed state laws aimed at restricting medical treatment for transgender children and barring minors from attending drag shows in Florida.
His campaign did not respond on Saturday to a request for comment.
At a rally in Pickens, South Carolina, Mr. Trump did not acknowledge the broadside from the campaign for Mr. DeSantis, who trails far behind the former president in public opinion polls and is working to build support with hard-right positions on abortion, transgender rights and other issues.
Instead, Mr. Trump,听辞惫别谤听the course of an hour-long campaign speech, repeatedly听肠谤颈迟颈肠颈锄别诲听sporting events that have allowed transgender women to participate in women’s competitions.
“I will keep men out of women’s sports,” he vowed.
Mr. Trump pledged at the 2016 Republican National Convention to protect gay rights. But, as president, he was听肠谤颈迟颈肠颈锄别诲听when he banned transgender people from serving in the military and his administration proposed stripping protections for transgender people facing healthcare discrimination.
Asked on Saturday for a comment on the听惫颈诲别辞, Mr. Trump’s campaign pointed to a tweet posted Friday night in which Trump adviser Jason Miller said “somebody’s getting fired”听辞惫别谤听the听顿别厂补苍迟颈蝉聽campaign’s post. Miller did not elaborate.
The Log Cabin Republicans, a conservative group that advocates for gay rights, said Republicans need to stand up against “radical Left gays” but that听顿别厂补苍迟颈蝉聽had gone too far.
“顿别厂补苍迟颈蝉听and his team can’t tell the difference between commonsense gays and the radical Left gays,” the group said in a tweet late on Friday, saying the听辫谤别蝉颈诲别苍迟颈补濒听丑辞辫别蹿耻濒听“has just ventured into homophobic territory.” – Reuters
