DeSantis says he didn’t want to take on Disney but had to back the Parents’ Bill of Rights
‘I never had a fight with Disney’ Ron DeSantis says he didn’t want to include the ‘woke kingdom’ where he married Florida first lady Casey DeSantis — but he had to take a stand when it passed the Bill of Rights of denounced his parents
- Florida’s governor said he was warned not to go to war with Disney because they were too powerful
- “We had to make sure we legislated,” he said at what can only be described as a campaign rally in Clearwater, Florida.
- Wednesday’s event at a country line dance venue was officially part of DeSantis’ book tour, which many see as a prequel to his presidential bid
Ron DeSantis said he never wanted to take a stand against Disney, claiming he was going against the advice of those who warned him not to take on the powerful company and one of the largest employers in the Sunshine State.
The Florida governor told at least 1,000 supporters gathered in Clearwater, Florida, that he had never had “beef” with Disney until they spoke out against his education, race, and LGBTQ policies.
DeSantis went on a rampage against the “awake kingdom” for the excessive power it held for decades without apparent oversight.
“Until we came in and we had to make sure we legislated,” he said to loud cheers.
“The fact is you need a state that is run on the basis of the best interests of the people, the best interests of children and families,” he added. “Not what some wacky California company has to say.”
The staff handed out copies of DeSantis’ new memoir The Courage to be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival. The remarks were technically part of his book tour — although many have seen these recent speeches as campaign events, despite the governor not yet officially announcing a bid for the White House.
Earlier on Wednesday, the governor held a press conference in Tampa, Florida, exposing the sexually explicit and pornographic materials in books found in middle and high schools across the state.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis told a group of at least 1,000 supporters in Clearwater, Florida, on Wednesday that he had to stand up to Disney for having too much power in the Sunshine State
DeSantis made the remarks as part of his remarks for a stop on his book tour — which many people speculate serves as a series of events leading up to an announcement of a presidential bid. DeSantis holds up a copy of his new memoir The Courage to be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival
DeSantis mingled with the attendees and signed copies of his book at the event on Wednesday
He played a six-minute video at the press conference showing some examples of the shocking artwork and said his government’s removal of this type of material has led to a “hoax” that he is “banning books.”
Many of his policies preventing educators from speaking about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools led to his now year-long war with Walt Disney World.
“Disney—I didn’t fight with them or anything,” DeSantis insisted. “They were just normal, or so I thought.”
DeSantis’s book released last month details that he and first lady Casey got married at Disney in 2009.
“We’ve done things that many other governments have done,” DeSantis said of his gubernatorial achievements. “I mean, think about it. We had to face the most powerful company in Florida history.”
“I didn’t want to get involved,” he insisted. “I was advised not to participate. A lot of people said they shouldn’t be involved – and we couldn’t do the law on parents’ rights because they’re so powerful.’
However, DeSantis said he was able to strip Disney of the power they held for more than six decades with his signature earlier this month on a new bill that dissolves the Reedy Creek Improvement District board and gives power to the state over the formerly tax-exempt and self-governing territory encompassing all of Walt Disney World.
A man who yelled at the governor during his remarks was removed from the property by security. It was not clear what was being said
Staff distributed copies of DeSantis’ new book to attendees on Wednesday
The governor spoke Wednesday night to a few thousand people gathered at the OCC Road House and Museum — a garage-themed restaurant with a huge covered outdoor space that hosts live acts and line dancing and also houses a motorcycle museum.
The restaurant is open in the middle of COVID. The owner said DeSantis’ policies were the only reason he was able to open and be prosperous.
At some point during DeSantis’s remarks, an audience member began yelling in the direction of the stage, catching the governor off guard. It’s not immediately clear what the man said, but security escorted him off the property.
The event ended with the blast of Sweet Florida, a 2022 Van Zant track written as a tribute to DeSantis and his policies during the pandemic that led to the Sunshine State becoming the first to fully reopen after lockdowns.
“One of the lessons of the book is swing for the fences, you only get one chance to go around this,” DeSantis said. “I want to be able to look in the mirror and say when people needed me to stand up for them, I did.”