See Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis invoke ‘Top Gun’ in campaign ad

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis returned to his Navy roots in a campaign ad that plays off the popularity of the “Top Gun” movies.

That promo for the GOP heavyweight’s reelection bid begins in a hangar called “Freedom Headquarters,” where a fighter jet appears to fly overhead. DeSantis, dressed as “Top Gun” star Tom Cruise, then begins speaking about battling “corporate media.”

The low-budget and less-than-subtle clip is labeled “Top Guv.” It features the governor shouting down reporters over a backdrop of cheesy action movie music.

“Never, ever back down from a fight,” the 43-year-old conservative says.

The minute-long spot was posted online by DeSantis’ wife Casey and includes their young son. While the governor wasn’t a part of the “Top Gun” program, he did join the U.S. Navy in 2004 and was deployed to Iraq with SEAL Team One as an adviser in 2007. The decorated veteran became the Sunshine State’s 46th governor in January 2019.

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There’s been buzz about DeSantis’ running to be the nation’s 47th president in 2024, though fellow Floridian Donald Trump would be the likely front-runner for Republican Party’s nomination should he try to retake the office he was voted out of handily in 2020. Trump told the New Yorker in June that he hadn’t asked DeSantis if he planned to run for the White House, but said if the two were pitted against one another, “I think I would win.”

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Also in June, Trump told far-right wing media outlet Newsmax that he could “envision a world” where he’s the president again, and DeSantis serves as his wingman. According to Newsweek, Trump takes credit for delivering DeSantis to the governor’s mansion.

“I was very responsible for his success because I endorsed him… and he went up like a rocket ship,” Trump said.

While having two presidential candidates from the same state could create constitutional debates, DeSantis has not expressed interest in serving as he nation’s vice president.

One thing is for sure — if DeSantis was hoping to tie himself to a winner in his new campaign ad, he picked the right movie franchise. Since hitting theaters on May 27, “Top Gun: Maverick” has brought in more than $1.4 billion worldwide. The long-awaited sequel to the 1986 film “Top Gun” became available for digital purchases Tuesday.

DeSantis spoke about seeing “Top Gun: Maverick” with his son during an interview with right-wing broadcaster Glenn Beck earlier this month. According to Florida Politics, during that chat, the governor groused that the U.S. Navy is “focusing on pronouns and all these other things, this woke garbage, while China is laughing at us.”

His campaign is largely rooted in cultural war issues.