'The Devil That is Communism': DeSantis Signs Bill Requiring Communist History Lessons in Schools

HIALEAH GARDENS, FL—On the 63rd anniversary of the tragic Bay of Pigs invasion, Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law requiring school instruction on the history and evils of communism beginning in the 2026-2027 school year.

"We're gonna tell the truth about communism in the state of Florida. We're gonna tell the truth about the evils of communism," DeSantis said at a Wednesday morning press conference, holding the meeting at the Hialeah Gardens Museum.

"We're gonna tell the truth about the unprecedented death toll of the 20th century at the hands of communist tyranny—100 million killed at the hands of communist regimes spreading from China to the Soviet Union to Cuba," he added, highlighting communist dictators Mao Zedong, Joseph Stalin, Fidel Castro, Joseph Lenin, and Nicolas Maduro.

The bill, SB 1264, requires an "age-appropriate" instruction on communism starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It goes further, mandating the Department of Education prepare standards for instruction on the history of communism, and creates "The Institute for Freedom in the Americas" at Miami Dade College.

The Institute for Freedom in the Americas is designed "to preserve the ideals of a free society and promote democracy in the Americas", and will partner with Florida International University's non-partisan, free-market think tank, the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom.

Education Commissioner Manny Diaz spoke about "the devil that is communism", arguing that the bill was necessary to build a "foundation" for young children.

"Our students will have a foundation and an understanding so when they get to the higher ed level they will not be fooled by anyone trying to tell them a story otherwise," Diaz said Wednesday.

DeSantis agreed, claiming that most universities are pushing communist ideology on its students, saying, "A lot of these colleges try to rehabilitate communism, they try to whitewash communism...they are apologists for communism."

"We might as well tell them the truth while they're in our schools because a lot of these universities they go they're gonna be told how great communism is, so we're setting the proper foundation," he added.

State Senator Jay Collins, a Republican, explained that up to 30 percent of young people said that communism is "something they'd like to try" in this nation.

DeSantis pointed to the "fitting" nature of signing the bill on the Bay of Pigs invasion anniversary. The 1961 invasion was a failed operation on the southwestern coast of Cuba by the Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front, made up of Cuban exiles opposing dictator Fidel Castro who were secretly financed and directed by the U.S. government.

1,200 members of the 2,506 Brigade surrendered, and 100 more were killed.

The bill also requires the Department of State and the Department of Education to recommend a blueprint to the Legislature for the creation of a communist history museum to be constructed in Miami.