Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), Trump’s pick for Florida governor, ran into an awkward moment at a Florida Republican Party dinner on Saturday. A muted welcome led him to ask for help getting the room going.
A video posted by the account DeSantis Appreciation Society, which backs Gov. Ron DeSantis, shows Donalds at the podium at the party’s “Victory Dinner.” Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia is then called upon to get the crowd to cheer. At one point, Donalds said, “that wasn’t good enough.”
“AWKWARD,” the account wrote. “At tonight’s Florida GOP event, Byron Donalds comes out to a cold gruel-like reception, then asks CFO Blaise Ingoglia to play hype man so he can get a bigger pop from the crowd.”
Critics quickly compared it to Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign, when the former Florida governor asked a New Hampshire audience to “please clap.”
“Please clap,” wrote Dave Spore, a health policy staffer for the Florida Senate Democrats.
Progressive commentator Grant Stern said the moment gave off “major ‘Please clap’ vibes.”
“This is a roomful of his own Republican Party members,” Stern wrote.
Donalds’ weekend was already rough. Days earlier, his campaign website drew attention for removing almost every mention of Trump’s endorsement, which his campaign said was meant to focus on policy. Trump called the reports a “Fake Story” and said rallies for Donalds were already scheduled. He called his opponent, Democrat David Jolly, “a known Lefty Loser.”
The DeSantis Appreciation Society account has repeatedly gone after Donalds. DeSantis and Trump backed rival candidates in the primary.
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