As he’s been traveling around the country seeking the Republican nomination for President, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has used the Walt Disney Company as his punching bag. Governor DeSantis has accused Disney of “sexualizing” and “indoctrinating” children by including LBGTQ+ characters in its films. For his part, Disney CEO Bob Iger has called those accusations “preposterous and inaccurate.”
Related: ‘A Bunch of Novices.’ DeSantis Disney Board Getting Crushed For Its Governing
But just this weekend, the Florida governor made a pitstop in the backyard of his fellow governor and rival Gavin Newsome to sit down with Bill Maher on his show Real Time with Bill Maher. The more than five-minute interview covered a wide range of subjects, but after spending some time bashing former President Donald Trump, Maher asked about Gov Desantis’ feud with the Walt Disney Company.
“Why is this guy picking a fight with Mickey Mouse?” Maher asked. DeSantis deflected the question and responded with:
Well, first of all, they picked a fight with us. This idea of ideology-corrupting institutions, I see it in Los Angeles with the amount of crime that’s here and the homelessness.
Governor DeSantis also put in a plug for Maher to move his show from California to Florida, where DeSantis said there is no income tax nor are there any vaccine mandates. DeSantis has used California and Governor Newsome as his foil throughout his run for the Republican nomination, claiming that the state is in ruin. The two Disney governors plan on debating each other on November 30.
DeSantis and Disney are currently embroiled in a series of lawsuits in Federal Court over the company’s response to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, known by its critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. DeSantis and the Florida Legislature stripped Disney of its self-governing Reedy Creek Improvement District and replaced it with the DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
Related: DeSantis ‘Welcomes Disney’s Surrender
Disney is suing DeSantis and his new Board, claiming government retaliation and that the governor violated the company’s First Amendment rights. Just last Friday, DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District asked a Federal Judge to dismiss all of Disney’s claims against them. Disney has until the end of October to respond to the governor’s latest court filings.
Disney is also embroiled in a lawsuit against the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District in State Court. Disney is seeking damages and would like the return of the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
At one point during the interview, Maher noted that Florida Gov Ron DeSantis would only sit for an interview because he is losing to former president Trump. In most polls, DeSantis is down by more than 30 points for the republican party nomination.
DeSantis was coming off the Republican debate that he claimed to have won. He finds himself in third place in both New Hampshire and South Carolina. In the Granite State, he has lost more than 30 points since earlier this year.
We will continue to update this story at Disney Fanatic.
