DeSantis says the ‘party is over’ for Disney enjoying its special designation
Asher Notheis
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) declared that Disney’s party is “over” regarding its self-governance as the governor and the company continue their lengthy battle that started last year.
DeSantis’s statement was made on the same day he signed a law giving his board the power to end Disney’s self-governance deal. The Florida governor claimed that when the self-governance deal was originally made, it was with the intent that Disney build communities where people could live, a promise that the company “never followed through,” according to a Friday interview he did on Newsmax.
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“But at the end of the day, they just have to understand the party is over for them,” said DeSantis. “OK, they had 60 years years of privileges that no other corporation in America has had.”
DeSantis’s latest actions come after Disney filed a lawsuit against DeSantis in April, with the lawsuit alleging that Florida violated Disney’s First Amendment right to free speech. The feud between the governor and Disney originated in March 2022 after the company claimed Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law “should never have been signed into law” and that Disney’s goal was to have the law “repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts.”
The Florida governor’s battle with Disney has drawn both supporters and critics from within the Republican Party. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) claimed in April that he does not believe DeSantis is a conservative based on his actions toward Disney, while Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) argued that DeSantis “has not acted outside of his powers” in his feud with Disney.
DeSantis is seen by many to be a strong contender for the GOP nomination in the 2024 presidential election, with many also seeing him as the biggest challenger to former President Donald Trump, who has already announced his 2024 campaign and has targeted DeSantis several times.
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When asked when was the last time DeSantis spoke with Trump, the Florida governor said he does not remember, adding that he “definitely hasn’t talked to him” since the 2022 midterm elections.
In recent polling from April, both Trump and DeSantis would beat President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in a hypothetical scenario where the 2024 presidential election was held immediately. However, the polling also revealed that most respondents do not want Trump or Biden to serve another term as president.