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Disney vs. DeSantis: More CEOs Speak Out in Support of Bob Iger

Disney’s feud with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken over headlines since it began in March 2022. The back-and-forth first began when the then Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek spoke out against the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which Florida Governor Ron DeSantis introduced. The disagreement evolved into a long, drawn-out battle, with both parties trying to outdo the other: the King Charles III clause and a lawsuit and counter-suit from Disney and then DeSantis’s specially appointed board, to name a few. Most recently, DeSantis has moved to dismiss the lawsuit altogether (and also moved to try and dismiss the Chief Judge in the case).

magic kingdom disney world
Magic Kingdom Park, Walt Disney World Resort/Credit: Disney

Amid this, many voices have spoken out about the feud. Many voices have spoken out in support of Disney, especially Disney fans. Along with this, many politicians, analysts, and journalists have condemned Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s actions. Some have even gone so far as to say he’s “not a conservative.”

Those who are more for Florida or conservative values have felt Governor DeSantis did not handle the situation well. Those who oppose him have been thrilled with the ingenuity of Disney’s lawyers and legal team.

Disney fans are going to town on DeSantis' failure to launch
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis / Credit: Flickr- Matt Johnson

Now one more voice—Nike CEO John Donahoe—has spoken out in support of Disney CEO Bob Iger and particularly applauded how he’s handled the whole feud with Governor DeSantis. He mentioned that companies didn’t need to speak out about every political issue unless it attacks the brand’s core values.

“I think Bob’s doing a great job at this,” Donahoe said about Disney CEO Bob Iger. “If it’s core to who you are and your values, then no, you stand up for your values,” he said. “If it’s commenting on some political issue that’s in someone else’s backyard, then we may have that personal feeling, but we don’t comment on it with our brand and publicly.”

Disney CEO Bob Iger
Disney CEO Bob Iger / Credit: Jeremiah Daws, Flickr

Some Disney fans will remember that Bob Iger did in fact speak out about the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, officially called the Parental Rights in Education Act. However, Mr. Iger was also not the CEO of Disney when he did this. He tweeted about it from his personal Twitter account.

Beacons of Magic, Tree of Life, Disney's Animal Kingdom
Beacons of Magic, Tree of Life, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Walt Disney World Resort / Credit: Disney

While the jury’s still out (soon, quite literally) on how Disney vs. DeSantis will pan out, it will certainly be interesting to see how this situation progresses.

Priyanka Kumar

Priyanka is a writer, artist, avid reader, and travel enthusiast based in Chicago. In her free time, she is probably walking by the lake, catching up on the latest releases on TV, or spending inordinate amounts of time rewatching Moana, Encanto, and her Disney Channel life-long favorites Zack and Cody wreak havoc on the Tipton.

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