DeSantis Releases New ‘Top Gun’-Inspired Campaign Ads Targeting ‘Corporate Media’

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the Unite and Win Rally in support of Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano at the Wyndham Hotel in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Aug. 19, 2022. (Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida on Aug. 22 released a new campaign advertisement taking aim at “corporate media.”

DeSantis, who didn’t have a Republican challenger in Tuesday’s primary, has only released a handful of campaign ads during the past two weeks.

The latest one-minute commercial video, mirroring the blockbuster movie “Top Gun: Maverick,” was posted by wife Casey DeSantis on Twitter late Monday.

The parody opens with a hangar with captions “Freedom Headquarters (Florida)” before the “Top Gov” label appears. The Florida governor then arrives in a black leather jacket and sunglasses, which is similar to the outfit of Tom Cruise in his 1986 movie.

“Good morning ladies and gentlemen, this is your Governor speaking,” DeSantis says in the video. “Today’s training evolution: dogfighting. Taking on the corporate media.”

“The rules of engagement are as follows: Number one, don’t fire unless fired upon, but when they fire, you fire back with overwhelming force,” DeSantis is heard as saying.

The footage then intercuts with press conferences or other previous scenes when he blasted reporters.

“Does it say that in the bill?” DeSantis said to one reporter. “I’m asking you to tell me what’s in the bill.”

“Wrong. It’s a fake narrative,” DeSantis blasted another reporter. “I just disabused you of the narrative and you don’t care about the facts. It’s why people don’t trust people like you because you peddle false narratives.”

It ends with DeSantis sitting in the cockpit of a fighter jet, wearing a helmet with the logo “Top Gov.”

“All right, ladies and gentlemen,” DeSantis said as his son jumps in and says “let’s turn and burn!”

In an interview with Fox News on Aug. 23, DeSantis said the idea of casting himself as Maverick fighting back against mainstream media was from his wife and was inspired by the summer sequel to the 1986 classic.

The commercial also came shortly before Democrat voters picked Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) to take on DeSantis in the November elections.

In Tuesday’s primary, Crist held the lead over Nikki Fried, the state’s Agriculture Commissioner, by 60 percent to 35 percent, according to Decision Desk HQ.