DeSantis: Negative Media Coverage is 'Backfiring'

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) continues to assert his belief that left-leaning and "legacy" media outlets have it out for him, as he did in January.

But in a recent interview with Glenn Beck on The Blaze, Gov. DeSantis said the negative coverage is "backfiring" and drawing more supporters into his camp rather than driving them away.

".@GovRonDeSantis tells me the media's attacks against him are BACKFIRING," Beck said.

Gov. DeSantis described how because media outlets will look for anything to paint him in a bad light, "they lose credibility and lose trust more and more."

"Because they keep doing this, they lose credibility and they lose trust more and more. So they're playing for a smaller audience that will actually believe what they say," he adds.

DeSantis points to Florida's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as a prime example, prompting a crack from Beck calling him the "chief grandma-killer."

Despite this, the Sunshine State experienced record-high visits and population growth.

"I think a good example of this is just to look at the last few years in Florida. They did all they could to demonize me and COVID; they were acting like Florida we're a COVID wasteland; how reckless to have kids in school and businesses open," he began.

"And yet, how did the American people respond to that? They responded by visiting Florida in record numbers and moving to Florida in record numbers. So that tells me that what they're doing just isn't working," DeSantis continued.

Moreover, even if DeSantis could go after media outlets for defamation as a political figure, he "couldn't even show damages" precisely because the negative coverage helped him more than it hurt him.

"We looked into see the defamation; it's very difficult for someone like me to do it, but the reason why- well, two reasons, one, I'm Governor and I can't be getting involved in litigation, but two is like I couldn't even show damages! It benefited me because it was so obvious that they were threatened by me and my success in Florida, and they wanted to try something to rough me up, and they really faceplanted. So I'd go in and say 'wait a minute, I'm better known now and more people probably support me now,'" he concludes.