Ron DeSantis makes direct appeal to Disney in legal battle
Tallahassee, Florida - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has been waging a war against Disney for the past year, but he now says the company should drop its lawsuit against him because he has already "moved on."
During an interview with CNBC host Brian Sullivan on Monday, the Republican presidential candidate said "We've basically moved on" when asked about his ongoing feud with the company.
"They are suing the state of Florida. They are going to lose that lawsuit," he insisted.
When asked what he would say to Disney CEO Bob Iger if given the opportunity to speak with him, DeSantis said: "What I would say is, drop the lawsuit," later adding, "Your competitors all do very well here: Universal, SeaWorld... They have not had the same special privileges as you have."
In March 2022, Disney publicly vowed to fight DeSantis' controversial Don't Say Gay bill, which forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity from pre-school to third grade in the state's schools.
DeSantis seemed to retaliate by signing legislation to dissolve Disney's special district status for its theme park in the state, to which the entertainment giant responded with a lawsuit accusing the governor of violating First Amendment rights.
DeSantis' battle with Disney has been at the forefront of his faltering campaign.
Cover photo: Collage: REUTERS & SCOTT OLSON / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP