DeSantis Bashes Reporter in New Hampshire: ‘Are You Blind?’

A reporter and 2024 presidential hopeful Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) shared a tense exchange during the Florida governor’s first campaign event in New Hampshire on Thursday after the reporter asked him why he did not take questions from voters during the event.

“Why not take any questions from voters, though?” the reporter, identified as the Associated Press’s Steve Peoples, asked as DeSantis mingled with the crowd, posing for pictures with the event’s attendees.

“Governor, how come you’re not taking questions from voters?” the reporter asked again, prompting a response from DeSantis, who explained that he was now very clearly talking to voters who were approaching him.

“Are you blind?” DeSantis asked Peoples, repeating the question. “Are you blind?”

“I’m not blind,” the Peoples replied. Notably, the video shows DeSantis surrounded by a sea of individuals with whom he appeared to be engaging.

“Okay, so people are coming up to me, talking to me [about] whatever they want to talk about,” DeSantis responded before walking away:

I just asked DeSantis why he hasn’t taken any questions from voters so far:

“People are coming up to me, talking to me. What are you talking about? Are you blind? Are you blind? People are coming up to me, talking to me whatever they want to talk to me about.”

— Steve Peoples (@sppeoples) June 1, 2023

Here’s the video. https://t.co/06bdVZLP1T

— Steve Peoples (@sppeoples) June 1, 2023

After declining to take audience questions after his first New Hampshire campaign event today, Ron DeSantis lashed out at a reporter for asking him about it while he was chatting with members of the crowd individually.

Here’s the video, via @NBCNews —> pic.twitter.com/Z2WtLy0JNj

— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) June 1, 2023

While some have pointed out the irony of the question, given the fact that the reporter appeared to interrupt DeSantis’s conversation with voters to ask why he was not speaking to voters, the original question appeared to stem from the report that DeSantis did not take audience questions during the speaking portion of the event.

The spat garnered mixed reactions on social media: some sided with DeSantis, and others sided with the reporter.

“What a way Desantis [sic] has with people,” one Twitter user said as another appeared to offer an opposite view.

“He’s literally among the people talking to them and answering questions. #Trump2024 but DeSantis should sue you for defamation. You blatantly lied here,” one individual stated. 

“Not Ready. Will never be,” another said as one asserted, “You guys know you just played yourself by sharing this video right?”