A fleeting moment at a Republican gathering in Dallas quickly overshadowed part of the political program Wednesday. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner drew online scrutiny after appearing to move his hand toward Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s backside while the Florida Republican approached the stage.
Scott Turner’s video draws attention after NSFW gesture toward Anna Paulina Luna
The unusual exchange happened after Turner finished attacking Biden administration policies in his convention speech. Luna was walking toward the podium for her own remarks when the two crossed paths. Video footage showed Turner extending an arm in her direction. The footage did not establish whether he actually made contact, and Luna showed no visible reaction (via The Daily Beast).
Reactions quickly split. Some commentators condemned what they believed they had seen, while others described the moment as simply bizarre. Another joked that Turner, a former NFL player, had “forgot” where he was. The awkward clip landed during a convention already struggling to generate much excitement.
The Republican event filled the 21,000-seat American Airlines Center with donors, candidates and lobbyists, but sizable portions of the venue remained vacant. Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts delegations had empty sections, while one state official privately acknowledged that her group fell about 10 people short. Organizers had even promoted free passes, a public ticket lottery and mass text messages to boost attendance.
The sparse attendance also raised questions about the Republican National Committee’s decision to center the event so heavily on Donald Trump. Trump initially brushed off concerns about attendance on Truth Social, writing, “Everybody wants to be there.” By Wednesday, however, he offered a different explanation for the absence of some Republican lawmakers.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews before his flight to Texas, Trump said the venue simply could not hold 500 lawmakers. He argued that Republicans locked in “close races” had been given preference, while politicians comfortably ahead in their contests had little reason to leave the campaign trail.
