‘Peaky Blinders’ rips Ron DeSantis over Tommy Shelby ad cameo
Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has been condemned by “Peaky Blinders” showrunners over what some have labeled a “homophobic” campaign ad using footage from the Netflix series.
Their tweet admonishing the 44-year-old Florida governor is currently going viral as fellow candidates accuse him of resorting to “desperate” tactics to get ahead in the republican primaries.
The ad, posted to the pro-Desantis Twitter account “Desantis War Room,” depicted rival Donald Trump, 77, making statements in support of the LGBTQ community, including saying that Caitlyn Jenner could the bathroom of her choice when visiting the White house, and celebrating the inclusion of transgender contestants in beauty pageants.
“To wrap up ‘Pride Month,’ let’s hear from the politician who did more than any other Republican to celebrate it…,” read the caption, apparently mocking the Donald’s pro-LGBTQ stance.
These were juxtaposed of footage of various news outlets accusing DeSantis — who notably signed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill banning gender instruction for children — of supporting anti-LGBTQ policies.
This footage was interspliced with triumphant shots of iconic movie anti-heroes ranging from Christian Bale’s serial killer stock broker in “American Psycho” to Cillian Murphy’s scally-capped crime boss British Tommy Shelby in the “Peaky Blinders.”
This cameo did not sit well with the British historical drama’s showrunners, who retorted on Twitter: “On behalf of the partners of Peaky Blinders – Steven Knight, Cillian Murphy, Caryn Mandabach Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions and Baniay Rights – we confirm the footage of Tommy Shelby’s character used within the video posted by Ron DeSantis’ campaign was obtained without permission of official license.”
“We do not support nor endorse the vide’s narrative and strongly disapprove of the use of the content in this manner,” they added.
The advert also earned DeSantis the condemnation of fellow conservatives, including the Log Cabin Republicans, who labelled the commercial “divisive and desperate.”
“Republicans and other commonsense conservatives know Ron DeSantis has alienated swing-state and younger voters,” the org declared on Twitter. “Conservatives understand that we need to protect our kids, preserve women’s sports, safeguard women’s spaces and strengthen parental rights, but Ron DeSantis’ extreme rhetoric goes has just ventured into homophobic territory.”
It’s yet unclear if DeSantis approved the message or is affiliated with the Twitter account behind the ad, which bills itself as “DeSantis Response Operation.”
The controversy comes as the politician trails behind Trump by a wide margin in the Republican primaries.
Despite being federally indicted last month, the former US president boasts a staggering 30.9 percentage point lead over DeSantis, who is his closet rival, per an average calculated by RealClearPolitics.
Meanwhile, one high-profile pro-Trump conservative was quick to condemn DeSantis’ new ad.
“Just because he’s so low in the polls doesn’t mean he’s got to take such cheap low shots!” Caitlyn Jenner, 73, told The Post. “But this doesn’t deter me from being an outspoken Republican or MAGA voice. It’s just another day. DeSantis has way bigger problems than his latest homophobic ad.”
Interestingly, Trump is no stranger to being lambasted over invoking pop culture.
In 2018, HBO declared war on the then Commander-in-Chief for tweeting out a photo of himself with the caption “Sanctions are Coming” — a play on the immortal “Winter is coming” phrase from the cable network’s hit fantasy series “Game of Thrones.”
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