Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was confronted by reporters about President Donald Trump's planned $1.776 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" — and his reaction was to sprint away from the questioners.
"Governor, what do you think of the Weaponization Fund, the DOJ fund? Could you comment on that?" asked the reporter, as DeSantis broke into a run up the stairs and made for the exit onto the street.
The fund was created as a so-called "settlement" of Trump's $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS for failing to prevent the leak of his tax information — a suit that raised alarm bells since he was effectively on both sides of the case.
Since the fund has been announced, and Jan. 6 rioters have expressed interest in applying for it, a number of Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill have condemned it, and there is even debate over including provisions in the GOP reconciliation bill that would limit who could be paid out under the fund.
The video of DeSantis, posted to X on Friday afternoon, was met with laughter and scorn from commenters on social media.
"He LITERALLY can’t run faster away," wrote former Florida Agriculture Secretary and state Democratic Party chair, Nikki Fried.
"Governor Drive-ins and Diners puts a hurting on those three or four stairs," wrote Florida Politics editor Peter Schorsch.
"To be a Trump loyalist is to be a coward & refuse to tell the truth or stick to the rule of law," wrote economist and author Anders Åslund.
