‘I never had beef with Disney’ Ron DeSantis says he didn’t want to tackle the ‘waking realm’ where he married Florida first lady Casey DeSantis – but had to take a stand when he denounced his parents’ bill of rights
- Florida governor says he was warned not to go to war with Disney because they were too powerful
- “We had to make sure we were making the law,” he said at what could only be described as a campaign rally in Clearwater, Florida.
- Wednesday’s event at a country dance hall was officially part of DeSantis’ book tour, which many see as a prequel to his run for president
Ron DeSantis said he never meant to take a stand against Disney and claimed he went against the advice of those who warned him not to confront the powerful corporation and one of the most large employers in the Sunshine State.
Florida’s governor told at least 1,000 supporters gathered in Clearwater, Florida that he never ‘had beef’ with Disney until they spoke out against his policies on education, race and LGBTQ.
DeSantis railed against the “Waking Kingdom” for the outsized power he wielded for decades without any oversight.
“Until we got there and we had to make sure we ruled the roost,” he said to massive cheers.
“The point is, you have to have a state that is governed in the best interests of the people, the best interests of children and families,” he added. “That’s not what a California-based woke company has to say.”
Staff distributed 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 having yet to formally announce a White House bid.
Earlier Wednesday, the governor held a press conference in Tampa, Fla., exposing sexually explicit and pornographic material contained 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, Fla., Wednesday that he had to take on Disney because he had outsized power in the Sunshine State.
DeSantis made the comments as part of his remarks for a leg of his book tour — which many people believe serves as a series of events leading up to a presidential candidacy announcement. DeSantis holds a copy of his new memoir The Courage to be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival
DeSantis mingled with attendees and signed copies of his book at Wednesday’s event
He played a six-minute video at the press conference containing some examples of shocking illustrations and said his administration’s removal of such material sparked a “hoax” that he was “banning the books”.
Many of his policies preventing educators from talking about sexual orientation and gender identity in schools led to his year-long war with Walt Disney World.
“Disney — I didn’t have a problem with them or anything,” DeSantis insisted. “They were just normal – or so I thought.”
DeSantis’ book released last month detailed that he and First Lady Casey married at Disney in 2009. He insisted he banned all characters from attending because he wanted her marriage feels “normal”.
“We’ve done things that a lot of other governments have done,” DeSantis said of his accomplishments as governor. ‘I mean, think about it. We had to look at the most powerful corporation in the history of the state of Florida.
“I didn’t want to get involved in that,” he insisted. “I was advised against getting involved in this. A lot of people said don’t get involved in this – and we weren’t going to be able to do the Parents’ Rights Bill because they’re so powerful.
DeSantis said, however, he was able to strip Disney of that power they’ve held for more than six decades with his signing earlier this month on a new law that dissolves the district’s board of directors. improvement of Reedy Creek and gives state power over the former tax-exempt and self-governing area encompassing all of Walt Disney World.
A man who yelled at the governor during his remarks was removed from the premises by security. What was said was unclear
On Wednesday, staff handed out copies of DeSantis’ new book to attendees
The governor addressed a few thousand people gathered at the OCC Road House and Museum on Wednesday evening – a garage-themed restaurant with a huge covered outdoor space where live shows and line dancing take place that also includes a motorcycle museum.
The restaurant opened in full COVID. The owner said DeSantis’ policies are the only reason he was able to open and be successful.
At one point during DeSantis’ remarks, an audience member began shouting towards the stage, catching the Governor off guard. It’s not immediately clear what the man said, but security escorted him off the scene.
The event ended with the blasting of the song Sweet Florida, a 2022 Van Zant song written as a tribute to DeSantis and his politics during the pandemic that helped the Sunshine State be the first to fully reopen after the closures.
“One of the lessons in the book is to swing for fences, you only get the chance to get around that thing once,” 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.”
