Florida Republican Gov. DeSantis has been foiled by Disney once again.
The new board DeSantis appointed to oversee the company’s Orlando theme parks has discovered a new wrinkle in its plans. The board’s chairman said Wednesday that another “11th hour agreement” was signed before the board took over that allows Disney to set its own utility rates for its resorts through 2032. By that time, DeSantis, who is term-limited and cannot run for reelection in 2026, will be long gone.
It’s the latest development in the ever-expanding culture war between DeSantis and Disney executives, who angered the governor last year after they publicly opposed his “Don’t Say Gay” law, which prevents teachers from talking about LGBTQ+ issues or people. That fight escalated last month when it came to light that Disney had managed to quietly disenfranchise the new board without DeSantis’s allies taking notice, and has continued as the governor tries to clamp down on the company in retaliation.
DeSantis’s efforts to punish Disney for being “woke” have become a political headache, with his potential 2024 Republican presidential primary opponents, including former President Donald Trump and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, using it to go on the attack. But at this point, DeSantis is probably in too deep to retreat.
“Once you pick a fight with a bully, even though it starts to get troubling, you probably need to finish it,” said Robert Cahaly, senior strategist and pollster at the Trafalgar Group and a former Republican political consultant. “He needs to be able to say, ‘I did everything I could do. I didn’t quit because it got hot.’”
DeSantis has been trying to redeem himself in a public relations battle that he has so far been losing. Earlier this week, he announced new legislation to require additional inspections at Disney theme park rides and its monorail connecting its hotels and theme parks. He also suggested the new state board could…
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