Jeremy Redfern, press secretary for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has baselessly accused former President Donald Trump of hiding in a “basement” instead of being on the presidential campaign trail. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, was in Florida earlier today to attend the funeral of his mother-in-law Amalija Knavs, having delivered two speeches in New Hampshire this week already and appearing twice in court in Manhattan. Trump speaks again Friday night in Concord, NH.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Redfern wrote: “Current location of presidential candidates not named Ron DeSantis – Nikki Haley: Basement Donald Trump: Basement Joe Biden: Basement.” The post was a predictably tone-deaf attempt to score political points for Redfern’s boss, DeSantis.
Current location of presidential candidates not named Ron DeSantis –
Nikki Haley: Basement
Donald Trump: Basement
Joe Biden: Basement— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) January 18, 2024
Redfern, who serves in the Office of the Florida Governor, is not employed by the DeSantis presidential campaign. The political nature of his X post, written at 9:15 am ET, questions whether the state government employee was campaigning on the Florida taxpayer’s dime.
Florida law stipulates that “an employee of the state or any political subdivision may not participate in any political campaign for an elective office while on duty… Any person violating the provisions of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.”
Users on X criticized Redfern’s vile post — including Jason Miller, a senior advisor to Trump, who noted the former President was at the funeral with his wife Melania and family at the time. Political consultant Alex Bruesewitz called Redfern “vile” and “a scumbag.”
The former First Lady memorialized her late mother at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea in Palm Beach, Florida. “Her nurturing spirit had no limits, creating a legacy that will last for generations,” said Melania Trump on Thursday morning. “She was my dear friend, an irreplaceable treasure, a gift bestowed upon me by the universe. And for that, I am entirely grateful. Rest in peace, my beloved mommy.”
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