Florida Governor Ron DeSantis – a potential candidate for next year’s Republican presidential nomination – is under fire on social media for a recent statement about his background.
DeSantis writes in his best-selling but little-seen new memoir that he was “geographically raised in Tampa Bay,” referring to his upbringing in the Pinellas County community of Dunedin.
But he claims a “cultural” background is very different from a “geographical” background.
″[C]ulturally my upbringing reflected the working class community in western Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio – from weekly church attendance to the expectation that one will earn a living,” he wrote. “It made me fear God, work hard and love America.”
NBC News noted that DeSantis’ claim stems from his parents’ “geographical” background: His father was raised in Pennsylvania, and his parents met while attending Youngstown State University in Ohio.
But the governor himself has never lived in one of the places, which is the only key to his presidential ambitions.
The critics were quick to point out and share some other thoughts on the claim: