Ron DeSantis downplays ‘bathroom wars’ in resurfaced clip — ahead of third debate
Ron DeSantis downplayed the transgender “bathroom wars” when he was vying to be Florida’s governor in 2018, a newly unearthed clip shows — as the 2024 hopeful is expected to be grilled about the hot-button issue during the third Republican debate Wednesday.
“Do you support or oppose a law that would allow a transgender person to pick the bathroom that they choose?” moderator Frank Luntz asked DeSantis at a 2018 Florida Republican gubernatorial forum, the clip shows.
“I would not pass a law. I would leave it as it is and stay out of that,” DeSantis replies, before adding, “Obviously I’d have to read the bill, but I think getting into the bathroom wars — I don’t think that’s a good use of our time.”
The clip has resurfaced as DeSantis and his 2024 rivals have traded heated barbs over their record on defending women’s rights and opposing gender identity politics.
Transgender issues have exploded into the forefront of conservative politics ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Many 2024 presidential candidates have come out in opposition to transgender women competing in sports against biological women or transition surgeries for young Americans.
The governor’s team insists his record has been solid on the matter.
“Ron DeSantis’ record on this issue is crystal clear and says it all. The governor championed, and this year signed into law, HB 1521 which protects women from having men use their restrooms,” his campaign told The Post.
“He’s fought to keep gender ideology out of schools, protect women’s sports, and keep kids safe from mutilating gender reassignment surgeries. Ron DeSantis beat the left on these issues in Florida and would do so as president.”
At various times in the primary, the DeSantis campaign slammed his rivals such as former President Donald Trump and Nikki Haley for their records on transgender issues.
Recently, his campaign attacked Haley for legislation she vetoed on transgender issues. In 2016, she opposed legislation to compel individuals to use the bathroom corresponding with their gender assigned at birth.
At the time, Haley suggested that such legislation was unnecessary saying, “there’s not one instance that I’m aware of” where that was an issue in her state.
The Haley campaign declined to comment about her record on transgender issues when asked.
Over the summer, DeSantis’s campaign roasted former President Donald Trump in an attack video on social media accusing him “pioneer in injecting gender ideology into the mainstream.”
Trump’s campaign suggested DeSantis’ team was “desperate” in response.
DeSantis is set to square off against four other GOP competitors during the third Republican debate Wednesday evening.
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