Trump makes it known he's very impressed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' physique


President Trump admitted on Tuesday night that he was wrong about something — and that something is the amount of muscle on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
In the middle of his rally in Sunrise, Florida, Trump asked several Republican officials to join him onstage, including DeSantis. He first congratulated DeSantis, calling him "one of the most popular governors anywhere in the country," and then things took a turn.
Trump said that whenever he would see DeSantis on television, "I always thought Ron was a little bit heavy." But then, one day, he gave DeSantis a pat on the shoulder, and was so taken aback he exclaimed, "Whoa! That's strong. That's a lot of muscle there. My hand didn't sink in like it does with a lot of people. And then I see him without a shirt one day, and this guy is strong. He's not fat. That's all power. That's all muscle. I want to tell you that."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump then shared the advice he imparted on DeSantis. "I said, 'Ron, you're one of the few I say it to: Don't walk around with a jacket all the time. Take it off.' He's a great guy, he's a tough guy, he's a brilliant guy, and he's our governor." The South Florida Sun-Sentinel asked DeSantis' communications director for some clarification on when Trump would have been with a shirtless DeSantis. In a text, Helen Ferre said Trump meant to say he saw DeSantis sans jacket, not shirt.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin on August 1, with rates ranging from 25% to 40% on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling
-
Thai court suspends prime minister over leaked call
Speed Read Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra has been suspended, pending an ethics investigation
-
Senate passes GOP megabill after Alaska side deal
The pivotal yes vote came from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, whose support was secured following negotiated side deals for her home state Alaska
-
Trump sues LA over immigration policies
Speed Read He is suing over the city's sanctuary law, claiming it prevents local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
-
Obama, Bush and Bono eulogize USAID on final day
Speed Read The US Agency for International Development, a humanitarian organization, has been gutted by the Trump administration