Ahead of reports that Gov. Ron DeSantis will announce his presidential bid on Wednesday, Hillary Clinton chimed in with her own warning about Florida and the Republican governor.
“Ron DeSantis’s ultra-MAGA Florida isn’t safe for people of color, LGBTQ+ people, or even multi-billion dollar corporations,” she tweeted, sharing images of headlines about the NAACP’s recent travel advisory and Disney canceling plans for a massive new office complex in the state.
The NAACP advisory against traveling to Florida, claiming the state is "hostile to Black Americans," drew mockery from conservatives who pointed out that members of NAACP leadership had vacationed in Florida and one currently lives in Tampa. Additionally, the Florida Chamber of Commerce noted that "on the economic diversification front, in just the last few years, Florida has moved into the number one spot in the United States for Black-owned businesses. And number two, for Hispanic. And number two for women owned businesses as well."
NAACP's Derrick Johnson (@DerrickNAACP) dismisses data showing Florida leads the nation in black-owned businesses: "Propaganda language ... The policies [@GovRonDeSantis] put in place are harmful policies to far too many individuals." pic.twitter.com/DxIrkg6ZXQ
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) May 22, 2023
As for Disney's decision to pull the plug on the development project, while the media spun the move as a response to the company's feud with DeSantis, in reality, it was most likely a financial one, as DeSantis's office explained.
“Disney announced the possibility of a Lake Nona campus nearly two years ago. Nothing ever came of the project, and the state was unsure whether it would come to fruition,” DeSantis's deputy press secretary Jeremy Redern said in a statement. “Given the company’s financial straits, falling market cap and declining stock price, it is unsurprising that they would restructure their business operations and cancel unsuccessful ventures.”
While Clinton shut off her replies, that didn't stop Twitter users from reacting in the quote tweets.
Hillary locked down the comments. Amazing. https://t.co/RtS1BGelWC
— Jeremy Redfern (@JeremyRedfernFL) May 23, 2023
The three main protected classes https://t.co/gScx9DrPVZ
— Erik Baker (@erikmbaker) May 23, 2023
I love this tweet because it combines millennial safety discourse with the older Clintonite solicitude for corporate power. https://t.co/6V7hPt0WBp
— Sohrab Ahmari (@SohrabAhmari) May 23, 2023
This is really the attack left wingers are going with? That Florida, which has gained over a million new residents since Ron Desantis became governor, isn’t safe for minorities or gay people? Does anyone actually believe this? The lies just keep getting crazier. https://t.co/HcfM6jjlXd
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) May 23, 2023
Imagine a former Presidential candidate being too scared to allow people who actually live in Florida to reply to her propaganda. #DeSantis2024 #TeamSanity https://t.co/XdMksKs3AO
— Donald Mihokovich (@DonMihokovich) May 23, 2023
BREAKING: Multi-billion dollar corporations to be given a stripe on the PRIDE flag. https://t.co/GIAsgFBSwH
— U.S. Ministry of Truth (@USMiniTru) May 23, 2023