Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he advised Disney‘s then-CEO Bob Chapek to stay out of a political battle over legislation in his state limiting discussion of sex and gender in public schools, according to the Republican’s forthcoming book.
Excerpts from “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival” were reported Monday by NBC News and other outlets on the same day DeSantis signed a bill stripping Disney of the self-governing status it has long held in the state.
In the book, DeSantis wrote that Chapek called him as Disney heard an outcry over the legislation, which critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
“We get pressured all the time,” Chapek told DeSantis, according to the excerpt. “But this time is different. I haven’t seen anything like this before.”
DeSantis wrote that he replied: “Do not get involved with this legislation.”
“You will end up putting yourself in an untenable position,” DeSantis said. “People like me will say, ‘Gee, how come Disney has never said anything about China, where they make a fortune?'”
Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
DeSantis’ book, set to be published Tuesday, is the latest indication that the high-profile Republican is gearing up for a 2024 presidential run.
DeSantis, who was easily reelected governor in November, has largely kept mum about his presidential ambitions. But polls nevertheless show him as a leading contender for the GOP nomination, rivaled only by former President Donald Trump.
The first excerpts of DeSantis’ book show the governor presenting himself as an unwavering warrior against the media and corporate figures he identifies as being allied with, or cowed by, the political left.
“All too often, GOP governors have bowed to corporate pressure, especially on noneconomic issues; I was going to stand firm in defense of the rights of parents and the well-being of our schoolchildren,” DeSantis wrote in a chapter titled, “The Magic Kingdom of Woke Corporatism.”
After he noted…
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