‘build The Wall,’ Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Tells His Young Daughter in Campaign Ad

‘Build the wall,’ Florida gubernatorial candidate tells his young daughter in campaign ad Ron DeSantis, Casey DeSantis, Florida, gubernatorial, governor, Tallahassee, Donald Trump Jr, President, Donald, trump, Helsinki, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, ****** by Erin B. Logan July 31 at 8:28 AM Email the author A Republican gubernatorial candidate in Florida released a 30-second campaign advertisement Monday, and it’s full of love for President Trump. “Build the wall,” ” Rep. Ron DeSantis (R) says while playing with toy blocks with his daughter, Madison, nearly 2, in his Florida home. “Then, Mr. Trump said, ‘You’re fired,’ ” he says while holding his infant son, Mason, in one arm and Trump’s book “The Art of the Deal” in his other. “People say Ron’s all Trump. But he is so much more,” his wife, Casey, jokes before the screen flips to a shot of Mason lying in a crib, dressed in a red “Make America Great Again” onesie. “Bigly,” the gubernatorial candidate adds. “So good.” “The ad is just meant to reinforce the fact that the President is endorsing Ron and that Ron has defended the President,” David Vasquez, a spokesman for DeSantis, told The Washington Post in an email. “It’s just a bit of humor.” The tongue-in-cheek ad comes one month before the Florida gubernatorial primary, in which DeSantis is competing against seven other Republicans for a spot on the November ballot. But Trump’s endorsement gives DeSantis an edge over his opponents — and a bump in the latest polls. Will be in Tampa tonight. A big year for @RepDeSantis, who will be a great governor for Florida. Strong on Crime, Borders and our 2nd Amendment. Big help on Tax & Regulation Cuts. Loves our Military & our Vets. Has my Full & Total Endorsement!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 31, 2018 [With Trump in the White House, candidates who sound like him hit the campaign trail] DeSantis, who was elected to the House in 2012 and represents Florida’s 6th Congressional District, in the ad embraces a tactic used recently by some other Republican candidates. Republicans with longer political track records at times avoid obvious signs of kinship with the president. But DeSantis is taking a different approach. He’s letting voters in his state know how similar he and Trump are. The 39-year-old Iraq War veteran talks like Trump. He fancies himself the “No. 1 conservative” in Florida and speaks of “draining the swamp” in his state’s capital. In July, DeSantis was rewarded with a campaign visit from the president’s eldest son. Donald Trump Jr., left, greets Rep. Ron DeSantis at a campaign rally on July 18 in Orlando. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel/ AP) “Why am I here in 2,000 percent humidity?” Donald Trump Jr. asked a crowd at an Orlando restaurant. “It’s because Ron DeSantis was there from Day 1. He was with us when it wasn’t exactly cool to be with us . . . when we were at zero percent.” The show of support came amid bipartisan criticism of the president after he cast doubt on U.S. intelligence agencies during his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki. “There’s a reason Donald Trump endorsed me in this race, because he knows I’m a leader,” DeSantis said at the restaurant, according to the Associated Press. DeSantis recently ...