Donald Trump thinks DeSantis didn’t go far enough on Disney: Ron DeSantis recently took unprecedented action to strip Walt Disney World of its special status in Florida. Donald Trump, his likely future opponent, thinks he didn’t go far enough.
Ron DeSantis and His Mission to Battle Disney
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently escalated his feud with The Walt Disney Company, which began when the corporation, one of Florida’s largest and most powerful, came out against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.
DeSantis then took the sort of action that used to be unthinkable for Florida governors to take.
DeSantis, earlier this month, signed a bill that gave the state control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, formerly a special tax district in which Walt Disney World essentially governed itself. DeSantis appointed a new board to oversee what is now called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The board consists of five people who are either DeSantis donors or conservative activists when the previous board had been appointed by Disney itself.
“Today, the corporate kingdom finally comes to an end,” DeSantis said at a press conference earlier this month. “There’s a new sheriff in town and accountability will be the order of the day.”
The Daily Beast also reported that DeSantis and the board “might push for a say in Disney’s content if the corporation wants its tax-friendly home base to remain as is,” which raises the possibility that the state government could try to dictate which rides and attractions would be featured at Walt Disney World.
This was seen as DeSantis shoring up his “anti-wokeness” bona fides heading into the presidential primaries, something that has been a continuing theme throughout his governorship.
Donald Trump Has Thoughts
But over the weekend, DeSantis’ likely opponent accused DeSantis of not going far enough when it came to Disney.
“Ron DeSanctimonious totally caved in his public relations-inspired battle with Disney. That’s the only reason he went after them in the first place, to show Mr. Tough Guy,” Trump said on Truth Social on Sunday, appearing to have settled on “Ron DeSanctimonious” as his favorite derisive nickname for the governor.
“Disney maintained complete exemption from property & sales tax, tax-free bonds, and their incredible fast track permitting. They also gave big political contributions to DeSanctus. The whole thing is a Hoax – They probably worked together to make him look like a fighter. Read Rick Foglesong, preeminent authority on Disney.”
It would not appear likely that DeSantis and Disney “worked together.”
Richard Fogelsong is a professor and author who wrote a book in 2003 called “Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando,” which details the company’s relationship with the state of Florida. He appeared on a Yahoo Finance show late last month to discuss DeSantis’ Disney move.
“I think the good governor overstated the case. A year ago in the summer, when this came before the state legislature, he spoke of disillusion as the only solution to the powers that had been granted to the Disney Company,” Foglesong said on the Yahoo show.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, December 16, 2022. 19FortyFive Original Image.
“Well, it wasn’t dissolved. Their special purpose government was not dissolved. It had special powers, and it still has those powers. Maybe they will do yet what he said they would do.”
He went on to describe the DeSantis-appointed board as “cultural warrior types, Christian nationalist types, like the good governor himself.”
He added that Bob Iger, who recently returned from retirement to the chair as CEO of Disney, may have “too much confidence” in his charm when it comes to dealing with DeSantis.
“This governor is serious about what he proposes. He’s brought a new program of cultural warfare to the republican party, and he’s willing to address or trample on the free speech rights of major corporations in America,” Foglesong added.
And he noted that his take on the “woke” policies of corporations like Disney, “ think it’s going to be an issue for the Republican Party.”
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Expertise and Experience:
Stephen Silver is a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive. He is an award-winning journalist, essayist and film critic, who is also a contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @StephenSilver.
