Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) is continuing his rivalry with the mainstream media, referencing what he is calling a “manufactured and disgraceful ’60 Minutes’ hit job.” The comments from the Governor come after First Lady Casey DeSantis also directed comments at “the dishonest corporate media.”
The segment, which aired at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, received criticism from the Governor and a number of GOP members who argued that it wasn’t factual.
“While ignoring the facts, a partisan ‘reporter’ at 60 Minutes aired a false report about Florida and our leadership to protect the most vulnerable during COVID,” said the Governor in a message to supporters, adding “that 60 Minutes and their CBS bosses deceptively edited the video of me destroying their narrative.”
DeSantis expressed that “60 Minutes did what corporate media does,” which is that “they manufactured a false narrative, built a news package around it, and then aired it to millions of people in an attempt to smear one of their political opponents.”
Since then, the Governor has received criticism from Democrats in the state. However, recent polls indicate that the Governor maintains a significant lead over his Democratic gubernatorial challengers. Moreover, DeSantis has also amassed support from voters who could potentially vote for him should he decide to launch a 2024 presidential bid.
Commenting on the 2022 forecast, Frank Orlando, the director of the St. Leo University Polling Institute, commented that "As long as the governor's approval ratings remain in the upper 50s [percentage], it's hard to see him losing in 2022, which promises to be a strong year for Republicans nationwide."
In his recent comments, the Governor further criticized the mainstream media, calling reporters nothing more than "activist journalists" that are working for the Democratic Party. "The facts never matter to the media's lying Democrat propagandists," said DeSantis, affirming that "if the corporate media thinks they can just run all over me with without any response, they are surely mistaken."
Instead, the Governor reassured voters of his commitment to "fight back against their lies, smears, and propaganda."
