Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says Disney ‘brought [independent district dissolution] on themselves’ during Tucker Carlson visit | Orlando Area News | Orlando

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis never misses an opportunity to preen on Fox News. The governor used his latest stop on the national news network to reignite his fight with Disney, a feud that started when the company spoke out against Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law.

DeSantis and the Republican legislature moved to strip Walt Disney World of its status as an independent district after they opposed the state’s plans to regulate teachers’ speech about LGBTQ people in public schools. After being publicly pressured, Disney released a say-nothing statement that threw in behind the idea that gay people should be allowed to exist (and buy their products).

“We understand how important this issue is to our LGBTQ+ employees and many others,” they said. “For more than a century, Disney has been a unifying force that brings people together. We are determined that it remains a place that treats people with dignity and respect. The biggest impact we can have in creating a more inclusive world is through the inspiring content we produce.”

This milquetoast response was a bridge too far for Florida Republicans, who responded by voting to strip Walt Disney World of its independent government. That law will take effect in June and it is still deeply unclear what that will mean as far as obligations for police, fire and other municipal services to the theme parks.

DeSantis found the perfect platform to reignite his beef in Tucker Carlson. The constantly agape Fox News host and old-money scion has spent the last several years stumping for white nationalism and aired segments in the last month defending Sandy Hook conspiracist Alex Jones and calling children’s hospitals a dangerous cult.

“We didn’t drag them in,” DeSantis said, after seeing a clip of new-old Disney CEO Bob Iger. “These are parents’ rights, important policies in our state that are very popular. They brought this on themselves.”