Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan took a swing at a fellow GOP governor on Sunday morning when he called out Ron DeSantis for picking a “crazy fight” with Disney over Florida’s “absurd” Parental Rights in Education bill, which critics have labeled the “Don’t Say Gay” law.
While right-wing media has launched a self-serving moral panic against Disney for pushing a “progressive LGBT agenda” and “grooming” kids based on a deceptive smear campaign, DeSantis has essentially declared war against the Mouse House for condemning his bill, which bars classroom discussion about LGBTQ issues.
“Disney has alienated a lot of people now,” the MAGA governor said last week. “And so the political influence they’re used to wielding, I think has dissipated. And so the question is, why would you want to have special privileges in the law at all? And I don’t think that that we should.”
During an appearance on CNN’s State of the Union, Hogan was asked by anchor Dana Bash to react to DeSantis’ threats against Disney—which is a massive employer in Florida—and the law itself.
“I didn’t actually see the details of the legislation but the whole thing seems like a crazy fight,” the Maryland governor responded. “I’m not sure it concerns me.”
At the same time, Hogan criticized the Florida governor for constantly pushing businesses and groups in the state to toe a specific political line.
“DeSantis is always talking about, that he was not demanding businesses do things but he was telling the cruise lines what they had to do, he was telling schools what they had to do. Mandating! And now wants to criticize Disney for expressing how they feel about the bill,” he stated.
“I mean, they have every right to. We have a thing called freedom of speech,” Hogan continued. “They can come out and say what they think. I think the bill was kind of absurd and not something that would have happened in our state.”
Hogan, who has been highly critical of former President Donald Trump and the MAGA wing of the Republican Party, wrapped up the interview by calling on the GOP to provide a “more hopeful, positive vision for America” ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
“We have to look to the future as opposed to trying to relitigate the past and talk about, trying to talk about, crazy conspiracy theories,” he added. “I think that Republicans, instead of just a negative message against the Democrats, I think we have to have a message about what we’re going to do to try to solve problems.”
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