“Do you understand what a Cuban boot is?”
Them’s fightin’ words at the moment in the most unhinged MAGA circles, who are so intent on stemming Ron DeSantis’ growing popularity amongst Republicans that the mere mention of what the Florida governor wears on his feet is enough to turn a contentious conversation into near-fisticuffs.
As The Daily Beast reports, the tension between Trump supporters and “Meatball Ron” devotees hit a hilarious crescendo over the weekend when twenty-something Trumpist Alex Bruesewitz came face-to-face with DeSantis-ites John Cardillo and Jim Hanson. And a group of grown men took an online beef about boots to the halls of CPAC. Where Hanson, a right-wing pundit and Army Green Beret, asked Bruesewitz: “Do you understand what a Cuban boot is?” (Does anyone?)
There’s a price for talking smack
@alexbruesewitz has been out of line abt me, @johncardillo & @davereaboi among othersHe was informed that’s a punk play
Grow up! pic.twitter.com/lx5tVclQ9o— Jim Hanson (@JimHansonDC) March 3, 2023
If you’re wondering what “18-year hotties” have to do with boots, well, they all come back to DeSantis. In this particular altercation, it goes back to Bruesewitz posting an old photo of DeSantis — who at the time was a 23-year-old teacher — reportedly kicking back and drinking with some high school teens. Hanson’s response was that seeing Tiny D “partying with 18-year-old hotties” only made him like the possible presidential candidate more. Which: ick!
Even Bruesewitz thought it was a weird response, and — upon meeting Hanson, who was with his wife — asked him if he was the “18-year-old hotties guy.” Which is partly why things got all fired up.
The board members who are trying to oust @JamesOKeefeIII at Project Veritas support DeSantis for 2024. And some “conservative influencers” who are for DeSantis are tweeting out things like “I’m sure the board has good reasons to oust James!”
Why would DeSantis want O’Keefe gone?… pic.twitter.com/cwDJz2LIUn
— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) February 12, 2023
But back to the boots: DeSantis’ footwear has been a hot topic for Bruesewitz, who insists that Ron is wearing oversized heels in order to make himself look taller.
Governor, if I may, what are those? pic.twitter.com/Zu3mQTd2RT
— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) March 1, 2023
Why are people so upset about me asking about Ron DeSantis’s choice of footwear?
I would also like a pair of boots that make me three inches taller!
I simply asked “what are those?” https://t.co/E1JenYedqH
— Alex Bruesewitz 🇺🇸 (@alexbruesewitz) March 1, 2023
And, of course, there was that whole White Go-Go Boots debacle:
We have two questions:
1) Did the same staffer who put DeSantis in those nifty white rubber boots also arrange for the Jeb! endorsement?
2) How long has the staffer been on Trump's payroll? pic.twitter.com/lVICzFMwMU— Resolute Square (@ResoluteSquare) February 27, 2023
As silly and childish as it all seems, Team Trump is reportedly looking for just these sorts of little, umm, missteps, to use as ammo against DeSantis, who the former president/2024 presidential hopeful sees as his most serious competition. “But the blow-up between their respective loyalists over tweets and boots at CPAC portends a fight that may get even more absurd and trivial than anyone thought possible,” according to The Daily Beast, where politics reporters Jake Lahut and Zachary Petrizzo write:
Private conversations within Trumpworld about DeSantis suggest that plenty of new lows are still possible as the campaign heats up.
Just for starters, Trump confidants have been attempting to quantify DeSantis’ true Body Mass Index—the same metric that Trump obsessed over during his time in the White House. A reliable height and weight for the Florida governor have thus far evaded MAGA sleuths….
Inside Trump’s inner circle, those close to the former president have poked fun at a photo of DeSantis wearing tall white rubber boots while touring the damage left by Hurricane Ian last year. Since Trump’s trip to East Palestine, Ohio—where Trump wore a Timberland style boot—those in his inner circle have concluded that their boss has better taste in working men’s footwear.
“Donald Trump had work boots on,” a source close to Trump told The Daily Beast. “DeSantis had Dallas Cowboy cheerleader boots on… Donald Trump reacts to disasters. Ron DeSantis hesitates.”
And to think that DeSantis hasn’t even announced whether he’ll actually run yet!
(Via The Daily Beast)