The political temperature continues to rise as Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis inches closer towards a widely-expected presidential run.
While DeSantis has been bombarded with attacks in recent days from former President Trump even before he officially enters the 2024 race, DeSantis has already been clashing with a formidable foe: the press.
The animosity the legacy media had towards Trump during his presidency reached historic heights, but as soon as DeSantis began generating White House buzz, several outlets have already declared that having him in the Oval Office would be "worse" than Trump.
Over the past few years, the media waged epic battles against the popular governor, many of them involving peddling falsehoods. Here are the ten most memorable clashes:
Rebekah Jones became a media darling in the early months of the coronavirus pandemic over her explosive claim that she was pressured by the DeSantis administration to alter the state's data in order to push for reopenings.
The claims made by Jones, who was ousted from her position as a Florida health official, was taken at face value by the media, especially CNN.
From May 2020 to December 2020, Jones made at least nine separate on-air appearances on programs like "New Day" and "Out Front with Erin Burnett" and received coverage on "The Lead with Jake Tapper." But no CNN program booked Jones more than "Cuomo Prime Time."
Before his own firing in late 2021, Chris Cuomo landed CNN's first "exclusive" interview with Jones, who he spoke with on at least five separate occasions, most recently in December 2020 when the network pushed the narrative that she was the victim of a police "raid" in retaliation of the DeSantis administration when in reality she's been accused of accessing and stealing government data.
However, reporting from National Review's Charles C. W. Cooke in May 2021 dismantled Jones' conspiracy theory.
Even after her claim was debunked, The Miami Herald editorial board hailed Jones for receiving "whistleblower" status from the IG's office investigating the case. A year later, the IG report determined that data manipulation did not occur. Jones later ran for Congress in Florida's first district and was crushed by GOP incumbent Rep. Matt Gaetz.
CBS News' "60 Minutes" ran a stunning report alleging that DeSantis took part in a pay-for-play scheme involving giving local grocery store chain preferable treatment to offer the COVID vaccine based on its donations to his PAC.
"60 Minutes" correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi painted DeSantis as a villain who prioritized senior citizens over teachers during the report that was peppered with jabs at the Republican governor.
At a press conference, Alfonsi confronted DeSantis about a $100,000 contribution to his campaign from Publix. However, critics accused CBS News of deceptively editing their exchange, leaving out the governor's explanation that CVS Pharmacy and Walgreens already had the vaccine as part of the state's efforts to vaccinate long-term care residents and that Publix was the "first one to raise their hand" when seeking which retailers were ready to distribute the vaccine.
Publix called the notion that it received special access "absolutely false and offensive."
Following intense backlash, "60 Minutes" attempted to defend its report by reading viewer mail on air echoing praise while also acknowledging criticism.
In late August 2021, as the worst of the pandemic was behind the U.S., The Miami Herald suggested otherwise running the jarring headline, "Florida COVID update: 901 added deaths, largest single-day increase in pandemic history."
While the headline indicates that the 901 COVID deaths mark the state's "largest single-day increase" in CDC data, the reality is that those 901 deaths did not occur in a single day.
"Florida on Thursday reported 21,765 more COVID-19 cases and 901 deaths to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to Miami Herald calculations of CDC data," the report began. "All but two of the newly reported deaths occurred after July 25, with about 78% of those people dying in the past two weeks, according to Herald calculations of data published by the CDC. The majority of deaths happened during Florida’s latest surge in COVID-19 cases, fueled by the delta variant."
But that didn't stop the Herald's headline from being widely shared among DeSantis' critics, including an army of MSNBC stars and staffers.
"My god," primetime host Chris Hayes reacted.
"Pardon me, but holy s---," MSNBC producer Adam Weinstein similarly tweeted.
Liberal MSNBC contributor Fernand Amandi hyped the "BREAKING" news, tweeting "We have had more deaths in Florida from COVID-19 in the first 26 days of August than the US has had among uniformed military service members in Afghanistan since October 2001."
Among others who circulated the Herald report include CNN contributor Frida Ghitis, Florida Politics publisher Peter Schorsch, and Rick Wilson of the disgraced Lincoln Project.
When asked if the paper stood by its headline, Miami Herald executive editor Monica Richardson told Fox News Digital, "Our story was accurate."
In December 2021, DeSantis faced an avalanche of negative headlines for a proposal for a civilian-military force in his state.
DeSantis introduced a plan to re-establish what's called the Florida State Guard that can quickly aid the response to hurricanes and other emergencies. Several other states across the country including New York and California have similar civilian forces.
However, despite how common it is for states to create their own civilian military force, news outlets suggested DeSantis is tapping into authoritarian impulses.
CNN ran the headline "DeSantis proposes new civilian military force," something the liberal outlet stressed, "he would control."
"Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to reestablish a World War II-era civilian military force that he, not the Pentagon, would control," the CNN article began. "But in a nod to the growing tension between Republican states and the Biden administration over the National Guard, DeSantis also said this unit, called the Florida State Guard, would be ‘not encumbered by the federal government.’ He said this force would give him ‘the flexibility and the ability needed to respond to events in our state in the most effective way possible.’"
It wasn't until the fourth paragraph that CNN acknowledged that Florida would be the 23rd state to establish such a force.
CNN's story quickly went viral and was shared by MSNBC's Joy Reid, who tweeted "So… y’all know this is fascisty bananas, right…?" Her colleague Amandi similarly wrote "What wannabe totalitarian, fascist, authoritarian dictators do."
Other outlets ran stories similar to CNN like Axios' "DeSantis proposes Florida civilian military force that he'd control," The Hill's "DeSantis proposes civilian Florida State Guard military force he would control" and The Guardian's "Ron DeSantis plans Florida paramilitary force outside federal control."
MSNBC's "The ReidOut Blog" went even further attacking the GOP governor with a piece titled, "DeSantis wants Florida to establish its own military force. He can't be trusted."
Last year, GOP-backed legislation in Florida garnered national attention for being derided by progressives as being anti-LGBTQ with accusations that the bill forbids any discussion pertaining to being gay in schools.
The bill, officially named Parental Rights in Education, states in part, "Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."
Left-wing critics derided the legislation as the "Don't Say Gay" bill even though such language is absent from the bill itself.
But media outlets broadly embraced the liberal talking point.
The Associated Press ran the headline "‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill passes in Florida, goes to governor" with AP reporter Zeke Miller tweeting, "The Florida legislature has passed the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, which Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign into law."
The three broadcast networks were in sync with the framing of their stories with ABC News running, "'Don't Say Gay' bill passes Florida Senate," CBS News running, "Florida Senate passes controversial 'Don't Say Gay' bill despite protests" and NBC News running "‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill: Florida Senate passes controversial LGBTQ school measure."
Two of Florida's largest papers The Miami Herald and The Orlando Sentinel, printed "Student voices are loud, but Florida Republicans are clear. ‘Don’t say gay’ bill passes" and "Florida lawmakers approve ‘Don’t Say Gay' bill, DeSantis expected to sign it" respectively.
In July 2022, the uber-left website Salon.com went viral for a year-old article that had already been debunked.
Salon previously published a story in June 2021 with the headline, "DeSantis signs bill requiring Florida students, professors to register political views with state."
At the time, PolitiFact declared the claim as "false," explaining that the HB 233 law that was passed would require public colleges and universities to conduct a survey exploring the "intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity" on their campuses and that individual participation is voluntary. The survey, which hadn't been drafted yet, would ask whether individuals "feel they can express their political viewpoints and opinions in their college classrooms.’"
However, the Salon article resurfaced on Twitter as if the law had just passed. The Lincoln Project and its co-founder Rick Wilson promoted the false article along with MSNBC contributor Claire McCaskill, former Obama campaign staffer Jon Cooper, OccupyDemocrats executive editor Grant Stern and leftist activist group MeidasTouch. Even journalists like USA Today correspondent Josh Meyer and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Will Bunch also parroted the fake narrative.
Salon executive editor Andrew O'Hehir admitted the headline "conveyed a misleading impression of what the Florida law actually said, and did not live up to our editorial standards."
The headline was changed to "DeSantis signs bill requiring survey of Florida students, professors on their political views."
A disclaimer was added to the article, telling readers, "The headline for this article has been revised since its original publication to more accurately reflect the language of the bill in question." It stopped short of calling it a correction.
In a moment reminiscent of President Obama's tan suit that was mocked by the right, the left seized on the boots DeSantis wore while surveying the damage from Hurricane Ian.
Hayes of MSNBC mocked the governor's "go-go boots," saying they "stole the show" and hyped the "bonanza" it created on social media.
The Lincoln Project tweeted out an image of him alongside the hight boot-wearing Green M&M character, asking "Who wore it best?"
Headlines piled on the governor like Orlando Weekly's "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis gets clowned for white boots photo op after Hurricane Ian" and International Business Times' "Ron DeSantis' White Boots At Hurricane Ian Disaster Zone Mocked For 'Fashion Felony.'"
Late night hosts also had fun at DeSantis' expense.
"Governor DeSantis has been touring damaged areas to let residents know they’re not forgotten — and one thing that few will ever forget is the white knee-high boots he was sporting," Stephen Colbert of "The Late Show" told his audience. "Looks a little less ‘governor on the go’ and more ‘governor of the Go-Gos."
"You're not allowed to pass a 'Don't Say Gay' bill then show up in public dressed like Nancy Sinatra," late-night Jimmy Kimmel quipped.
While DeSantis went into the 2022 election cycle as the heavy favorite in Florida's gubernatorial race, the most prominent newspapers in the Sunshine State all endorsed his Democratic opponent, former Gov. Charlie Crist, signaling the media is out of step with Florida voters.
"Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Florida is a place of meanness. It’s a place where dissent is muzzled, where personal rights triumph over the greater good, where winning is more important than unity — especially if that victory moves him closer to a White House run. That’s not the Florida we had four years ago. And it’s not a Florida that voters should tolerate for the next four years. There’s a far better choice in the Nov. 8 election: Democrat Charlie Crist," the Miami Herald editorial board wrote in October.
After listing several grievances, the Herald admitted "we can’t deny that DeSantis is a highly popular governor within the state and beyond," calling him a "Trump-like figure without the buffoonery" who can "deftly play both sides against the middle."
The Tampa Bay Times posed the question "A decent man or a bully?" in the headline of its endorsement of Crist, saying DeSantis "doubled-down on the tribalism that plagues too much of today’s politics."
The Palm Beach Post similarly threw their support behind Crist, writing, "Unlike the current occupant, Crist used the levers of state government to bring people together to address challenges, not to bluster, consolidate power and campaign for higher office."
South Florida's Sun Sentinel offered its support for Crist back in July ahead of the state's primaries, writing "The highest priority for Florida Democrats in 2022 must be to end the political career of Ron DeSantis, and Charlie Crist can do it."
DeSantis ended up defeating Crist by a whopping 19-point margin, even flipping deep blue Miami-Dade County in the process.
In January, Florida's Department of Education (DoE) rejected an Advanced Placement (AP) African Studies course, which DeSantis alleged had a "political agenda" since it incorporated the Critical Race Theory ideology and included "Black queer studies."
The DoE's website states that studies of the history of African Americans must include "the history of African peoples before the political conflicts that led to the development of slavery," "the enslavement experience," "abolition" and "the history and contributions of Americans of the African diaspora to society." Legislation signed into law by DeSantis in 2020 requires the teaching of historical events including African American history.
However, because of his opposition to the AP course, DeSantis was accused by the media of wanting to "erase" Black history.
The New York Times ran a guest essay titled "Ron DeSantis Wants to Erase Black History. Why?" Teen Vogue stated as a matter of fact "Ron DeSantis Is Erasing Black History From Florida Schools."
NBC News' Andrea Mitchell perpetuated the falsehood during an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris asking her, "What does Governor Ron DeSantis not know about Black history and the Black experience when he says that slavery and the aftermath of slavery should not be taught to Florida schoolchildren?"
"The View" co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin similarly said "You're literally talking about erasing history" during an on-air discussion about the dustup.
Following backlash from DeSantis' office, both Mitchell and Farah Griffin attempted to walk back their claims. While "The View" host acknowledged her error and apologized on Twitter, Mitchell told viewers days later alleging she was simply "imprecise" with her question while failing to correct the record.
Perhaps the most bizarre media narrative pushed against DeSantis was the way he allegedly ate pudding.
The Daily Beast reported in March that during a 2019 plane ride, the governor "enjoyed a chocolate pudding dessert—by eating it with three of his fingers, according to two sources familiar with the incident."
Triggering comparisons to the 2020 campaign story about Sen. Amy Klobuchar eating a salad with a comb, the media received a sugar high.
"This probably isn't the last we'll hear of the #PuddingIncident," CNBC host Carl Quintanilla reacted.
Vanity Fair warned readers, "THIS IMAGE OF RON DESANTIS EATING CHOCOLATE PUDDING WILL HAUNT YOUR DREAMS."
The website Defector wondered "Which Three Fingers Did Ron DeSantis Use To Slurp Down Chocolate Pudding Like A Damn Raccoon?"
New York Magazine even declared the alleged pudding incident "will end his 2024 bid."
In a recent interview with Fox Nation's Piers Morgan, DeSantis laughed off the pudding uproar, saying he doesn't "remember" doing that.
