Screaming Heckler Derails DeSantis’ Hulk Hogan Tribute
“You’re a f***ing pedophile!” the man exclaimed at the Florida governor.
A heckler was removed from a Ron DeSantis event Thursday after he called the Florida governor a “f---ing pedophile” and criticized the controversial migrant detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”
DeSantis spent part of his time on stage at a Bradenton event reminiscing about Hulk Hogan. The pro wrestling icon, who publicly supported Trump in his final year, died earlier in the day at age 71, reportedly from cardiac arrest.
“I remember Wrestlemania III. He was—” DeSantis said as the man began shouting about “Alligator Alcatraz,” which Trump and the governor toured earlier this month before all the allegations of inhumane conditions were reported.
The governor told him to stop, but the man continued: “Is that your f---ing legacy? You bowed down to a f---ing pedophile! You’re a f---ing pedophile!”
A protester interrupts Ron DeSantis at an event today: “Is that your fucking legacy? You bow down to a fucking pedophile! You’re a fucking pedophile!” pic.twitter.com/SodEw4npNe
— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) July 24, 2025
The heckler then called DeSantis and Trump “Nazis.”
“F--- you all!” he yelled as he was led away by security.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
DeSantis challenged Trump for the 2024 GOP nomination in a contest filled with personal attacks and, on Trump’s side, plenty of juvenile nicknames, including “Ron DeSanctimonious,” “Tiny D,” and “Meatball Ron.” But the governor recently said that they are getting along just fine.
Trump and DeSantis toured "Alligator Alcatraz," a facility that has seen several complaints about inhumane conditions.
Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERS
Meanwhile, Trump continues to have to answer for his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in jail in 2019 while awaiting federal sex trafficking charges involving underage girls.
The president’s handling of the issue, which includes promoting conspiracy theories about Democratic “treason” involving the 2016 election and rehashing old culture war issues, has thus far not satisfied many of his supporters.
As part of his effort to move beyond the Epstein issue, Trump recently instructed the Department of Justice to speak with Epstein’s former associate and girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. She is currently serving a 20-year sentence in a Florida prison for helping Epstein abuse and recruit underage girls for sex.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche interviewed Maxwell for six hours on Thursday. Her attorney said that she never invoked her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Maxwell has also been subpoenaed by Congress, with a deposition scheduled for August 11.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.