Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis addressed rumors that he tries to disguise his height during an interview on the PBD Podcast.
Podcast host Patrick Bet-David pointed out that DeSantis’ critics accuse him of wearing high-heeled boots to make himself look taller. Bet-David played a clip of DeSantis on “The Bill Maher Show,” which the content creator captioned, “tell me he’s not wearing hidden heels.” (RELATED: DeSantis Gets Into Heated Debate With ‘Meet The Press’ Host Over Guns, Background Checks)
The clip highlighted the height of DeSantis’ heels, suggesting that the boots were specifically chosen to give the Florida governor additional inches. Bet-David said the clip has gained millions of views and likes, suggesting that there’s a significant number of people who believe DeSantis is misleading the public about his height.
“What they’re trying to say with this is in your boots, you have heels,” Bet-David said.
DeSantis dismissed the rumors, saying the boots are “standard” and “off the rack.”
Bet-David asked DeSantis for his height, to which the Florida governor responded, “5’11.”
“Why don’t you wear tennis shoes and dress shoes?” Bet-David questioned.
DeSantis said that he wears tennis shoes when he works out. Bet-David then reached under his desk to reveal a “gift” he had for DeSantis. He pulled out a shoe box containing new Ferragamo shoes that he told DeSantis that he would “love” for him to wear.
“I don’t accept gifts. I can’t accept it.” DeSantis said, cutting the host off.
DeSantis has struggled since entering the race for the White House, falling significantly behind former President Donald Trump. He has suffered from an exodus of donor support, and has been forced to shed staff. A recent poll shows him tied with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in the Iowa primary at 16%.