DeSantis takes unprecedented hardline on Disney

Background: We’ve been talking about Disney a lot. Recently, they’ve waged war on Florida’s efforts to pass an anti-grooming bill and announced that they’re increasing the production of LGBTQ+ content for children.

💪 Disney’s influence: Its Orlando theme park empire employs around 80,000 workers. They have 38 lobbyists inside of Florida’s state capital. Usually, Disney gets “everything they want” in the state. DeSantis's attitude towards the behemoth corporation, where the company faces significant political pushback, is a first in recent history.

🏛 Florida Gov. DeSantis broached repealing Disney World’s self-governing status in the state. "What I would say as a matter of the first principle is I don’t support special privileges in law just because a company is powerful and they’ve been able to wield a lot of power," DeSantis said during a press conference.

🔎 Read the bill: Disney CEO Bob Chapek reached out to prevent DeSantis from signing the anti-grooming bill into law. DeSantis told him to read the bill.

⚠️ Crossed the line: DeSantis said that “This state is governed by the interests of the people of the state of Florida. It is not based on the demands of California corporate executives. They do not run this state. They do not control this state.” He also stated that Disney crossed the line in its efforts to curtail the bill.