On Saturday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis attended the 8th Annual Basque Fry in Gardnerville, Nevada, jointly hosted by the Adam Laxalt-affiliated “Morning in Nevada” and the DeSantis-supporting “Never Back Down” super PACS. The event pays homage to the Laxalt family’s Basque heritage, a tradition started by former Nevada Governor and U.S. Senator Paul Laxalt, and rekindled by his grandson Adam Laxalt (R), the former state Attorney General.
Since its 2015 start, the Basque Fry serves up stewed and fried lamb testicles as a cultural recipe and has attracted GOP figures such as Senator Ted Cruz, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, and former Vice President Mike Pence. Last year, Laxalt ran for Senate against Democrat incumbent Catherine Cortez-Masto, losing by a slim 8,000 votes after a failed bid for Governor in 2018. Attendance at this year’s Basque Fry was about a thousand more than last year’s crowd of around 1,500.
Highlighting the intense Republican rivalry between the presidential primary contenders, former President Donald Trump’s campaign engaged in a contentious exchange ahead of DeSantis’ attendance at the event by questioning the Florida Governor’s manhood. Chris LaCivita, a senior adviser to the Trump campaign, remarked:
Not surprised Ron DeSantis is looking for a set of balls.
Erin Perrine, a spokeswoman for the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down, swiftly responded, stating:
The Trump team’s obsession with men’s genitalia is more perverted than a woke grooming book.
Laxalt expressed skepticism about Trump’s chances of winning Nevada in a general election, saying:
I was a two-time Trump chair. I don’t see a path for him to win Nevada in a general election.
Alluding to the former President’s 2016 and 2020 losses in the Silver State, Laxalt said:
Those voters are not coming back.
LaCivita responded to Laxalt’s remarks, taking a personal swipe at him, saying:
So Adam Laxalt, who lost the governor’s race in ’18 and lost the Senate race in ’22, is lecturing President Trump? That’s the pot calling the kettle black.
Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt gives the welcoming remarks at the Inaugural Basque Fry at Corley Ranch in Gardnerville, Nev, 2015 (AP Photo/Lance Iversen)
Other speakers at the event included David Rubin, Host of The Rubin Report, Steve Cortes, National Spokesman for the Never Back Down PAC, and Nevada Lt. Governor Stavros Anthony. Three previously announced featured speakers pulled out of the event, including Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo. Instead, Gov. Lombardo was in attendance at the Las Vegas Golden Knights victory parade celebrating their Stanley Cup win. Lombardo attended the 7th annual Basque Fry last year. The other two cancellations were Nevada Congressman Mark Amodei and radio host Dana Loesch.
Gov. DeSantis is the first declared presidential candidate to campaign in Nevada this year. He attended a Reno rodeo with his wife, First Lady of Florida Casey DeSantis, and their children on Friday. DeSantis also served beers, but not Bud Light, to Veterans at the VFW in Reno on Friday.
Nevada’s “first in the west” presidential nominating system has been changed through legislation from the previously used caucus system to a primary. The Nevada Republican Party filed a lawsuit earlier this month challenging the new law, arguing that it violates First and Fourteenth Amendment rights to free association.
In the complaint, the NV GOP wrote:
AB 126 seemingly contemplates no role for major political parties in the primary election system beyond providing a list of qualified candidates to appear on the ballot.
Read More:
NV GOP Files Lawsuit Against Nevada Over Presidential Primary System
