Reps. Matt Gaetz, Byron Donalds Defend DeSantis After 2018 Debate Prep Videos Emerge

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) looks on during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on the defense budget request on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 29, 2023. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

Republican Florida Congressmen Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds defended their state’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, after ABC News released behind-the-scenes footage of his 2018 debate preparation.

On Sunday, ABC News released several video clips of Gaetz and Donalds coaching DeSantis through how to debate his Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum. The clips showed how DeSantis prepared to respond to controversies about past campaign remarks and how to appeal to supporters of then-President Donald Trump.