Florida Governor and 2024 presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis hit out at the claims that he wears hidden lifts in his boots to make him look taller by insisting "this is no time for foot fetishes."
Speaking to Newsmax's Eric Bolling, DeSantis laughed off the mockery he has received that he has been using footwear to make him appear taller.
DeSantis said there are bigger issues which need to be addressed in the country, while vowing to "wear a boot on my head" if former President Donald Trump, the overwhelming frontrunner in the GOP primary, appears at the next televised debate in Miami on Wednesday, November 8.
Trump and fellow GOP primary rival, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, are among those who have ridiculed DeSantis over claims he wears boots with added insoles while on the campaign trail.
"This is no time for foot fetishes," DeSantis said. "We've got serious problems as a country. We've got a war in the Middle East. We've got terrorists coming across our own southern border. We have an American dream that's out of reach for millions of Americans because of the Biden inflation and the high energy prices. We've got schools that are indoctrinating kids, not educating kids. We've got cities that are being overrun by crime.
"I know people want to try to divert on to other issues. I know Donald Trump and a lot of his people have been focusing on things like footwear," DeSantis said. "I'll tell you this, if Donald Trump can summon the balls to show up to debate, I'll wear a boot on my head.
"This is a time for substance. This is a time for us to debate the issues that matter to the American people."
Trump is expected to miss the televised GOP primary for the third time as he believes his overwhelming poll lead means there is no need for him to attend, and that the other Republican hopefuls are essentially battling for second place.
In a recent statement, Trump's campaign team described the so-called "BootGate" story as having "longer legs than Ron DeSanctimonious," adding the Florida governor has become the "butt of every single joke" in the national media.
"Will Ron keep on wearing his high heels on Wednesday night, or will he switch to something sassier like platform shoes more appropriate for a contestant on RuPaul's Drag Race?" Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said.
DeSantis' office has been contacted for comment via email.
Fellow 2024 hopeful Haley almost mocked DeSantis during a recent appearance on The Daily Show.
When asked by guest host Charlamagne tha God whether she will be wearing "higher heels" than DeSantis on the debate stage, Haley replied: "I don't know. We'll have to figure that out.
"I've always talked about my high heels," she added. "I've always said, 'Don't wear them if you can't run in them.' So we'll see if he can run in them."
DeSantis previously denied that the boots he wears had hidden lifts to make him look taller during an interview on the PBD Podcast, saying they are "just standard, off-the-rack Lucchese boots."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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