In the spring of 2023, Ron and Casey DeSantis visited Tucker Carlson’s Florida home for a lunch that was supposed entice the then Fox News host towards favorable coverage of the Florida governor’s soon-to-be-announced presidential campaign. It culminated, allegedly, with Gov. DeSantis instead kicking one of the Carlson family’s dogs, at least according to a new book from Michael Wolff.
According to Wolff, the lunch came about at the prompting of billionaire Rupert Murdoch, who wanted Fox’s on-air personalities to meet with Ron and Casey. Murdoch hoped they would warm to the governor as an alternative to former President Donald Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Wolff writes: “For two hours Ron DeSantis sat at her table talking in an outdoor voice indoors, failing to observe any basics of conversation ritual or propriety, reeling off an unselfconscious list of his programs and initiatives and political accomplishments.” This hyper-ambitious bravado evidently alienated the Tucker’s wife Susie Carlson.
Matters were made worse when Gov. DeSantis allegedly pushed one of of the Carlson’s spaniels under the table with his foot – resulting in Susie Carlson concluding that DeSantis had in fact kicked one of the family dogs.
While Carlson himself has apparently told reporters the story is “absurd” and “made up”, there is of course the chance he’s just being a gracious host. The National Pulse checked with other sources with knowledge of the lunch, who said there is little reason to doubt Wolff’s characterisation of what happened. DeSantis’s odd personal behavior is well documented – including accusations that he eats pudding with his fingers, doesn’t respond well to jokes at his expense, and often alienates his own staff.
The DeSantis campaign responded to Wolff’s recollection of the lunch with the Carlsons stating: “The totality of that story is absurd and false. Some will say or write anything to attack Ron DeSantis because they know he presents a threat to their worldview.”
Did Ron DeSantis kick Tucker Carlson’s dog?. It’s unclear if we’ll ever know for sure, but it’s hardly outside the scope weird behavior we’ve already witnessed from the Florida Governor.
