Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis pushed back against recent criticism from the Left, saying he won’t let them “cancel” him.
DeSantis shared the comments during an interview on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” on Monday.
“These are leftists, and the fact of the matter is they are having a spasm about me because we’re winning in Florida. They see that, and they don’t like that. So they would find something to be able to pitch a fit about, but you know what? I am not going to let them cancel me,” DeSantis said.
The governor had been criticized by some Democratic politicians and LGBTQ activists on Sunday for speaking at an event at Chelsea Piers. The protesters opposed his recently-signed Parental Rights in Education law.
“We spoke, and we were happy to do that. And after all, as the Governor of Florida, me of anyone should be able to speak in front of all these future Florida voters that are moving down to my state. We weren’t going to let that deter us,” DeSantis noted regarding the protesters.
“There was a protest outside Chelsea Piers, but honestly, I was a little bit disappointed. I was hoping to have more protesters,” he added.
"The Left is having a spasm about me because we're winning in Florida… but I am not going to let them cancel me." – Governor @RonDeSantisFL 💪🔥 pic.twitter.com/7tE0pqNSSN
— Team DeSantis 🐊 (@teamrondesantis) June 13, 2022
Demonstrators held signs and banners on Sunday calling for a boycott of the location over his state’s law that bans instruction regarding sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through 3rd grade.
Some leftists wrongly called the legislation the “Don’t Say Gay” law. The Parental Rights in Education law does not use the word “gay.”
New York state Democratic Sen. Brad Hoylman also took to Twitter to express his concerns over the event.
“As #LGBTQ elected officials we demand @ChelseaPiersNYC cancel the event with ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Florida Governor @RonDeSantisFL during #pridemonth2022 in Chelsea, the heart of our community,” he tweeted.
As #LGBTQ elected officials we demand @ChelseaPiersNYC cancel the event with “Don’t Say Gay” Florida Governor @RonDeSantisFL during #pridemonth2022 in Chelsea, the heart of our community ⬇️⬇️⬇️@DeborahJGlick @ebottcher https://t.co/rGsUJMOq4D
— Senator Brad Hoylman (@bradhoylman) June 6, 2022
The event was hosted by the Jewish group called the Tikvah Fund, according to the New York Post.
“Local pols who attended the Sunday demonstration included US Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D- Upper East Side), State Sen. Brad Hoylman (D- Lower Manhattan), Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou (D- Chinatown), and Lt. Gov. contender Ana María Archila,” the outlet noted.
In addition to protesting DeSantis over the Parental Rights in Education law, some argued that the governor should not be speaking at the event during Pride Month.
Chelsea Piers released a statement on Friday noting its opposition to the governor’s policies, though it continued to host the event.
DeSantis also addressed questions on “Fox & Friends” regarding other topics, including whether he plans to run for president in 2024.
“Let’s cut the small talk. 2022’s coming up, 2024. We know President Trump is considering a run; we know your name is atop that list as well. Where does that all sit in your mind right now?” co-host Pete Hegseth asked DeSantis.
DeSantis initially passed on directly answering the question. Asked again about a future White House bid, the governor responded, “People always inject my name into it just based on what I’m doing in Florida. And so, you know, we’ve really gotten more notoriety not because I’m out trying to do that just because I’m getting things done for people in my state.”
Source: Dailywire
