In a recent interview, former New Jersey Governor and potential 2024 Presidential candidate Chris Christie spoke out against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ attacks against Disney and the Reedy Creek District.
Related: DeSantis Vows To Destroy Disney Despite How It Will Affect Floridians
Ron Desantis’ Disney feud began when the Walt Disney Co. spoke out against Ron DeSantis’ controversial “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act,” also known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. This caused him to take control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, filling the board with Republican supporters. Disney’s board held a last-minute meeting to change their contract, so the new Reedy Creek Board had little to no control over the county.
This action has drawn the ire of DeSantis even more, leading him to make declarations that he’ll enforce rules specifically on Walt Disney World and not other theme parks, add toll booths and hotel taxes around Disney World, and even build a prison near the Resort.
Not surprisingly, these moves have drawn criticism from Democrats and staunch Disney fans. What is surprising is the number of conservatives who have opposed this move, including former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
“I Don’t Think DeSantis is a Conservative.”
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Speaking with Semafor Politics, Chris Christie stated, “I don’t think Ron DeSantis is a conservative based on his actions towards Disney.”
Christie has a genuine argument here. One of the central conservative beliefs of Republicans is that government should not be involved in private businesses. By going after Disney for their political statements, the Florida Republican goes against one of his party’s main tenants.
Christie considered one of DeSantis’ rivals for the 2024 GOP Presidential nomination, further criticized the Florida Governor, saying, “For him to have taken the action he took against Disney and to not have foreseen that Disney was going to do what they did in response… That’s not the guy I want sitting across …sitting across from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and trying to resolve what’s happening in Ukraine.”
Christie continued, “If you can’t see around a corner that Bob Iger creates for you, I mean, I don’t think that’s very imposing.”
Other Republicans Who Called Out DeSantis
Related: Trump Blasts Ron DeSantis, Says Disney Is “Destroying Him”
Chris Christie is not the first Republican to speak out against Desantis’ actions. Former President Donald Trump has actively spoken out against DeSantis’ attack on Disney, calling the entire conflict a “public relations-inspired battle.”
“That’s the only reason he went after them in the first place, to show Mr. Tough Guy,” he said while insinuating that the Florida Governor and Disney “probably worked together to make him look like a fighter.”
Another conservative critic is Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who stated in 2022, “I don’t believe that government should be punitive against private businesses because we disagree with them. That’s not the right approach, either. And so, to me, that’s the old Republican principle of having a restrained government.”
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