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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is firing back at the House of Mouse after The Walt Disney Company’s returning CEO, Bob Iger, said he was sorry the brand was “dragged” into a political fight in the Sunshine State.
DeSantis made the remarks during an interview Tuesday evening with Fox News’ Tucker Carlson.
Carlson played a clip of Iger, who, upon returning to his role as Disney’s chief executive in the wake of his predecessor Bob Chapek’s tumultuous tenure, said, “I was sorry to see us dragged into that battle. And I have no idea exactly what its ramifications are in terms of the business itself.”
“What I can say is, the state of Florida has been important to us for a long time, and we have been very important to the state of Florida,” Iger added during a town-hall event with Disney staffers. “That is something I’m extremely mindful of and will articulate if I get the chance.”
DeSantis, unsurprisingly, sees the tête-à-tête between Florida lawmakers and Disney leaders a bit differently.
The war of words between Disney and Florida centers on the state’s recently enacted Parental Rights in Education Act, a law prohibiting educators in the public school system from teaching kids in pre-K through third-grade classrooms about gender identity and sexual orientation.
Under Chapek’s leadership, The Walt Disney Company bowed to external political pressure. The ex-CEO condemned Florida lawmakers and DeSantis for advancing what many in the media dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay bill,” despite the fact the then-proposal placed no prohibition on such verbiage.
“We didn’t drag them in, Tucker,” the Florida governor told Carlson. “They went in on their own, and not only opposed the bill. They threatened to get it repealed.”
DeSantis was referring to a statement released by Disney in late March, when the entertainment company said its “goal” was to see the law “repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that.”
“These are parents’ rights, important policies in our state that are very popular,” the governor added. “And so they brought this on themselves. All we did was stand up for what’s right.”
All of this comes amid an unimpressive showing for Disney’s latest animated film, “Strange World.” The project cost $180 million and is projected to lose $100 million in its theatrical run, according to Variety. {eoa}
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Reprinted with permission from cbn.com. Copyright © 2022 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.“
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