Forget DeSantis, Another Politician Has Disney in His Crosshairs

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. It appears as though the Walt Disney Company and its archenemy, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have found some common ground. While it will not fix the feud between the governor and one of the state’s largest taxpayers, at least they now have a common enemy, and as they say, enemies make strange bedfellows. So, at this point, anything is possible.

Related: More Employees Flee DeSantis Disney District As It Is No Longer ‘Functional’

It appears that both Disney and Governor DeSantis have found themselves in the crosshairs of former president Donald Trump. While the Florida governor has been there for a while, trashing the Walt Disney Company is new for Trump. And while he was at it, Trump even propped up the nemesis of Disney CEO Bob Iger.

At a rally in Hialeah, Florida, this week, Trump had a special guest, former Marvel Chairman Ike Perlmutter. Trump said of Perlmutter at the rally:

He is one of the most incredible businessmen in the world. The great Ike Perlmutter, he is right over here [pointing to the crowd]. He is one of the greatest businessmen. Ike is coming back with vengeance.

Perlmutter owned Marvel Studios but sold it to Disney in 2009. He stayed on with the studios until March, when Iger fired him. Perlmutter was a thorn in Iger’s side during his first tenure as Disney CEO, and the two would only communicate through Iger’s underling, Bob Chapek. When Iger fired Perlmutter, he called it a “necessary step.”

But Perlmutter may have the last laugh. Just last week, activist investor Nelson Peltz announced that his Trian Fund Management had reached a deal with Perlmutter to take control of his shares and the voting rights that went along with it. Disney gave Perlmutter $2.4 billion in Disney stock as part of the deal to acquire Marvel.

Trian is expected to ask for multiple seats on Disney’s Board of Directors, and Perlmutter said he plans to encourage Disney to accept Trian’s nominees. The nomination window for new Board members doesn’t open until December.

Trump Bashes Disney

But Trump didn’t just spend his time praising Perlmutter. He also took some time out to bash Disney. Trump said:

He owned Marvel and sold it to Disney. He is not too happy with Disney going woke, I will tell you.

The mere mention of the Walt Disney Company brought a round of boos from the gathered crowd. This is a common refrain from right-leaning politicians. However, it has not resonated with voters as it did at the Trump Rally.

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis built his campaign for the Republican nomination for President on crushing “woke.” He has claimed that Florida is where “woke goes to die,” and he has frequently clashed with the Walt Disney Company over its 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 World of the Reedy Creek Improvement District and replaced it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The two sides are now battling it out in court.

Trump is leading DeSantis and the rest of the Republican field by 40 points in some polls. DeSantis has dropped to a tie for second in New Hampshire with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and DeSantis is in third in the South Carolina primary.

Trump is facing a Civil Fraud trial in New York over his business practices and still has to face charges in Georgia. Despite that, he is still widely expected to be the Republican nominee for President.

We will continue to update this news at Disney Fanatic.