Running for President of the United States can’t be easy. You must spend most of your time traveling around the country, hoping that people will like you enough to vote for you. The rest of your time is spent begging people for money so that you can continue traveling the country, hoping that people will like you. Ron DeSantis is learning just how hard it is to run for President.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ struggling campaign for the Republican nomination for President took another hit this week, as two of his long-time billionaire donors have decided to sit out his run because of DeSantis’ right-wing policies. One of the donors specifically sighted the ongoing feud between DeSantis and the Walt Disney Company as the reason he has cooled on the Florida governor.
Founder of Trian Partners, Nelson Peltz, and Founder of the hedge fund Citadel, Ken Griffin, have previously supported Governor DeSantis. Each man gave him millions of dollars during his 2022 reelection campaign. However, The Financial Times reports that both men have cooled on DeSantis, and neither has spoken to him nor given any money since he announced his Presidential run.
Peltz is a significant shareholder of the Disney Company and, earlier this year, attempted a proxy fight with Disney CEO Bob Iger and the Disney Board of Directors. He specifically pointed to DeSantis’ right-wing policies, including DeSantis’ stance on abortion. In 2022, Peltz gave DeSantis’ campaign $5 million.
Griffin, however, specifically pointed to DeSantis’ feud with the Walt Disney Company as the reason for pulling his support for the governor.
A person familiar with Griffin’s thinking told the financial times:
The fight with Disney sends the wrong message about doing business in Florida. The governor needs to stay focused on creating good jobs.
This fight began nearly 18 months ago when former Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, known by its critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. DeSantis and the Florida Legislature responded by stripping Disney of its Reedy Creek Improvement District and replacing it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, filled with DeSantis appointees.
According to Real Clear Politics, DeSantis is trailing former President Donald Trump by 32 points in national polls among GOP primary voters. The decision by Griffin and Pletz not to make donations to either the campaign or his Super PAC is another blow to DeSantis.
It appears this feud is hurting both Disney and Gov Ron DeSantis, costing both millions. Perhaps now would be a good time to think about a truce.
We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.
