Video obtained by ABC News of Ron DeSantis' 2018 debate prep show him and his advisers candidly discussing how to respond to accusations that he'd made a racist comment.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during an event, May 06, 2023 in Rothschild, Wisconsin.was publicly grappling with a number of issues regarding race that had plagued his campaign.
"If I show any weakness on that, I think I lose my base," DeSantis said during the discussions, according to the nearly two and a half hours of private 2018 debate prep footage obtained by ABC News. "I think that I appear to be less than a leader, and so I just think I've got to come at it full throttle and say that's wrong."
"Nobody thinks that's what you meant," an adviser off camera told DeSantis, who responded, "Right, that's a thing. I mean, if I honestly meant -- I would have apologized, I mean, because it would have been wrong. I mean, I'll man up."quietly begun debate prep But privately, according to the recordings of the debate prep sessions obtained by ABC News, DeSantis downplayed the comment made by Horowitz, saying it was "stupid" but not racist.
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