January 1, WATCH: DeSantis Reacts to Former Rival’s Arrest

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) called out the media for the favorable coverage outlets showered on Andrew Gillum, his former rival in the state’s 2018 gubernatorial race.

A conservative activist reportedly asked DeSantis on Thursday if he felt “vindicated” in the wake of Gillum’s 21-count indictment on federal fraud charges.

“Well, you know… I would ask a lot of the media that propped him up whether they have any type of mea culpa on that,” DeSantis responded.

“I mean, there were clearly a lot of issues there. If you looked under the hood, you saw it, but what was presented to the public was that this guy was like the second coming.”

The Florida governor continued, saying, “never has a candidate been elevated, I think, that way by media outlets, certainly in the last ten years or so. And I can tell you – if I had not won in 2018, this state would be in much worse shape, and that’s not even a question.”