'Navy pilot cosplay': Ex-Navy pilot slams DeSantis’ 'pathetic' Top Gun-style campaign ad

24 August 2022

A former pilot for the U.S. Navy has publicly criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for his new campaign advertisement inspired by the 1986 classic film, "Top Gun."

According to HuffPost, the campaign ad featured the Republican governor who "donned aviator shades and a bomber jacket and plopped into what appeared to be the pilot’s seat of a fighter jet as he talked about taking on the 'corporate media.'”

At one point during the ad, he described himself as the "Top Gov." in the ad, and Ken Harbaugh is not pleased. “It’s not just cringy,” said Ken Harbaugh. “It’s literally Navy pilot cosplay.”

Harbaugh, a former member of the U.S. Navy who now hosts the “Burn the Boats” podcast, was featured in a new clip posted to social media by MediasTouch.

In the clip, he displayed his jacket with authentic pilot wings as he offered a comparison of both their roles in the maritime service branch. “Now, unlike Ron DeSantis, I didn’t pick this jacket up at Party City,” Harbaugh said. “These are actual pilot wings.”

He also noted that while DeSantis did serve in the U.S. Navy, he did so as an attorney. While Harbaugh also acknowledged that there is "nothing wrong with that," he did criticize the governor for appearing to embellish his role.

“Nothing wrong with that,” Harbaugh said of DeSantis' work in the Navy. “Until you start strutting around the flight line wearing aviator shades and pretending to be a badass.”

Harbaugh went on to offer a critical assessment of the political ad and the persona DeSantis attempted to portray.

“This tough guy act is pathetic, especially from someone like Ron DeSantis. This campaign ad from Ron DeSantis is just one more example of a Republican politician appropriating the honor of others because he has none.”

To view Harbaugh's full reaction, watch below or at this link.

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