And it could boost other Republican candidates with more experience using anti-woke rhetoric to their advantage, like right-wing activist Vivek Ramaswamy, who kicked off his campaign in February and has been dubbed “ the CEO of Anti-Woke, Inc.” by the New Yorker. Being seen as having been defeated by such a corporation would weaken his candidacy. DeSantis has made his fight with Disney a pillar of his political identityĪ key part of DeSantis’s pitch for the presidency is his willingness to take on so-called “woke” corporations, with Disney as the primary example. Together with DeSantis’s drop in the polls, speculation in GOP circles that he may have waited too long to formally announce a 2024 run, and that even Florida Republicans are endorsing Trump over their governor, the continued tit-for-tat with Disney may stunt DeSantis’s presidential candidacy before it has even formally begun. Trump wrote in a post on his social network Truth Social that DeSantis is being “absolutely destroyed by Disney” and suggested that the company would be justified in leaving Florida. “I don’t think Ron DeSantis is a conservative, based on his actions towards Disney,” said Christie, who is expected to make a decision in the coming weeks on whether to run, in an interview with Semafor Tuesday. Ron DeSantis is plotting revenge on Disneyīut DeSantis’s political opponents still see his feud with Disney as a vulnerability. “They just want them to be nonpartisan and to stay out of politics.” “They don’t want corporations to be conservative,” Cahaly said. Cahaly said that Trafalgar’s polls have found most Republicans say they would be less likely to do business with such companies and less likely to buy their products, as evidenced by the recent conservative boycott of Bud Light. It follows the revelation last month that Disney lawyers schemed to strip the new board, appointed with DeSantis loyalists, of most of its governing powers.ĭeSantis’s efforts to strike back might be enough to appease Republicans, who are highly animated against so-called “woke corporations” that embrace progressive racial and social justice policies. Meanwhile, Disney has been planning its first event to celebrate Pride Month at its California theme park, complete with themed entertainment and specialty menu items, in a return to the issue that first drew the governor’s ire. He also suggested the new state board could convert land in and around the Orlando theme parks into a state park, a competing amusement park, or a state prison - and that the board should investigate raising taxes on Disney. Earlier this week, he announced new legislation to require additional inspections at Disney theme park rides and its monorail connecting its hotels and theme parks. I didn’t quit because it got hot.’”ĭeSantis has been trying to redeem himself in a public relations battle that he has so far been losing. “He needs to be able to say, ‘I did everything I could do. “Once you pick a fight with a bully, even though it starts to get troubling, you probably need to finish it,” said Robert Cahaly, senior strategist and pollster at the Trafalgar Group and a former Republican political consultant. But at this point, DeSantis is probably in too deep to retreat. Chris Christie, using it to go on the attack. That fight escalated last month when it came to light that Disney had managed to quietly disenfranchise the new board without DeSantis’s allies taking notice, and has continued as the governor tries to clamp down on the company in retaliation.ĭeSantis’s efforts to punish Disney for being “woke” have become a political headache, with his potential 2024 Republican presidential primary opponents, including former President Donald Trump and former New Jersey Gov. It’s the latest development in the ever-expanding culture war between DeSantis and Disney executives, who angered the governor last year after they publicly opposed his “Don’t Say Gay” law, which prevents teachers from talking about LGBTQ+ issues or people. By that time, DeSantis, who is term-limited and cannot run for reelection in 2026, will be long gone. The board’s chairman said Wednesday that another “ 11th hour agreement” was signed before the board took over that allows Disney to set its own utility rates for its resorts through 2032. The new board DeSantis appointed to oversee the company’s Orlando theme parks has discovered a new wrinkle in its plans. DeSantis has been foiled by Disney once again.
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