A report from Radar Online has uncovered some surprising details about the controversial Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' past that the public may not know.
While former President Donald Trump has already disclosed DeSantis' peculiar habit of eating pudding with his fingers, the governor's history holds even more surprises.
Ex-colleagues from Congress describe the Yale graduate as a socially awkward "loner" who preferred to keep to himself.
Another intriguing aspect of DeSantis' past is his time as a young Navy lawyer at Guantanamo Bay, a period he often avoids discussing with reporters. As a judge advocate general (JAG) at Guantanamo Bay, DeSantis' responsibility was to ensure that military personnel and prison guards adhered to the law.
During his tenure as a JAG, DeSantis investigated the disturbing deaths of three prisoners found hanging in their cells, with their hands and feet tied and mouths gagged. Despite the circumstances, then-Naval officer Harry Harris maintained that the prisoners committed suicide. DeSantis supported Harris' theory, and the investigation concluded after only 11 days, leaving the deaths a mystery.
Moreover, a former Guantanamo prisoner accused DeSantis of supervising guards who brutally force-fed him during a 2006 hunger strike, an allegation the governor has denied.
In 2018, a year before being elected governor, DeSantis faced criticism for his involvement as an administrator of a Facebook group called The Tea Party. During his gubernatorial campaign, DeSantis claimed he was added to the group without his knowledge and subsequently removed himself from it.
DeSantis' campaign for governor was also marred by accusations of racism. In an August 2018 Fox News appearance, while discussing his campaign against Democratic candidate Andrew Gillum, DeSantis warned Florida voters not to "monkey this up." Florida Democrats interpreted this as a racist dog whistle against Gillum, who is Black. The DeSantis campaign responded to the allegations but did not apologize.
Stephen Lawson, then-communications director for the DeSantis campaign, stated, "Ron DeSantis was obviously talking about Florida not making the wrong decision to embrace the socialist policies that Andrew Gillum espouses. To characterize it as anything else is absurd."