Why is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Staying Silent on the Neo-Nazis at Disney World?

By this point, all of us have heard about the Neo-Nazi/White Supremacist protest that happened at Walt Disney World last weekend. The group was seen waving Nazi flags, Trump banners, and chanting slurs such as “white power” and “go back to Mexico” as people drove past them. Among these, flags that supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s 2024 presidential bid were seen.

Two dozen white supremacists are outside the main Disney World entrance in Orlando right now, marching with signs featuring Gov DeSantis’s face, swastikas, the n-word and homophobic slurs.

This is the 2023 Republican Party. pic.twitter.com/ISh5dkDGYe

— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) June 10, 2023

Related: After Disney World and DeSantis’ ‘Tacit Consent,’ Another Neo-Nazi Group Demonstrates in Florida

Who has spoken out against this demonstration?

It is terrifying to be at the “Most Magical Place on Earth” and see this kind of demonstration. Disney fans go to a Disney Resort—be that Central Florida’s Walt Disney World Resort or Southern California’s Disneyland Resort—to escape the harsh realities that can be a part of our daily lives and to enjoy the magical whimsy of Disney. To then see this sort of hate-filled protest can be incredibly jarring.

Many have spoken out about the protests; Florida Rep. Anna Eskamani of Orlando shared photos calling it “absolutely disgusting”:

Nazis outside of Walt Disney World right now — absolutely disgusting. pic.twitter.com/WeXtRi3OSL

— Rep. Anna V. Eskamani 🔨 (@AnnaForFlorida) June 10, 2023

Former Florida representative of Orlando and current candidate for Senate, Carlos Guillermo Smith, also shared the message,

Ron DeSantis hates Nazis. The problem is he may hate Disney for their support of LGBTQ people ever more. That’s why he won’t condemn this hateful message welcoming thousands of Florida tourists outside the Magic Kingdom.

We are better than this.

Ron DeSantis hates Nazis.

The problem is he may hate Disney for their support of LGBTQ people even more.

That’s why he WON’T condemn this hateful message welcoming thousands of Florida tourists outside the Magic Kingdom.

We are better than this…pic.twitter.com/7FVs6dg1MU

— Carlos Guillermo Smith (@CarlosGSmith) June 11, 2023

Disney heiress Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of Roy O. Disney, also condemned the act, adding, “My grandfather is spinning in his grave.”

But of all these voices, one has remained notably absent. That of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. While he has condemned Neo-Nazis in the past, attempting to distance himself from them and making clear that he has nothing to do with them and denouncing their behavior, they continue to use his name.

Why has Florida Governor DeSantis stayed silent?

There has been no official word from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis about the act; it’s a silence that rings particularly loud in the wake of the feud Governor DeSantis is embroiled in with the Walt Disney Company. What began with a disagreement over the “Don’t Say Gay” law back in 2022 has escalated and turned into a bitter lawsuit battle that will likely play out in the courts.

Ron DeSantis’s views on Disney are well-known. He’s repeatedly spoken out about how he won’t let a corporation be exempt from Florida’s laws, and this went on far enough that when a rumor spread that Governor DeSantis had sent the National Guard to block entrances to Walt Disney World, many thought it plausible.

Staying silent about this is dangerous in itself, but what adds context to the situation is that Governor DeSantis’s Press Secretary, Christina Pushaw, criticized reporters asking for a response from the Florida Governor.

Brad Fulton, associate professor of management and social policy at Indiana University–Bloomington, shared, “For those who have not been the target of hate speech, it can be difficult to comprehend the fear and mental anguish one might feel walking past a crowd of people promoting your annihilation.”

Is it possible that further instances of these kinds of protests—unfortunately not new in Florida by any means—might affect Disney’s attendance or image? The longer DeSantis stays silent, the more likely it can begin to seem that he’s doing this to help his war against Disney, which will certainly impact his public image.

At the time of publishing this article, there has still been no official word from DeSantis on the demonstration.