Posted on 03/13/2023 2:21:39 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
President Donald Trump eviscerated Governor Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., in his ongoing battle against Disney and its Magic Kingdom in Orlando.
“Ron DeSanctimonious totally caved in his public relations inspired battle with Disney,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Sunday. “That’s the only reason he went after them in the first place, to show Mr. Tough Guy. Disney maintained complete exemption from property & sales tax, tax-free bonds, and their incredible fast track permitting.”
As reported by RSBN, Gov. DeSantis recently signed legislation in February (HB 9B) that ended Walt Disney World’s self-governing status by terminating the corporate kingdom’s special privileges in Florida.
This move came after a months-long skirmish with Disney following their public criticism of DeSantis’s falsely labeled “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which simply prohibited sexual instruction in the classroom for children up to third grade.
DeSantis’s newest legislation purportedly ended Disney’s control over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, as well as their exemptions from state regulatory reviews and approvals, via RSBN.
However, President Trump has hit back at this “public relations inspired battle with Disney,” accusing DeSantis of playing games with Floridians and Americans at large.
“They [Disney] also gave big political contributions to DeSanctus,” Trump continued. “The whole thing is a Hoax – They probably worked together to make him look like a fighter. Read Rick Foglesong, preeminent authority on Disney.”
Trump is not the only one to criticize DeSantis’s war with Disney and claim that it may be shallower than it appears. In his statement, Trump directed supporters to read Rick Foglesong, whom he called a “preeminent authority on Disney.” Foglesong recently published an opinion piece in the Orlando Sentinel that took a hammer to DeSantis’s “war” with Disney.
In it, Foglesong claimed that Disney has maintained its exemption from property and sales tax and still enjoys fast-track permitting privileges. Per RSBN, HB 9B replaced the Reedy Creek Improvement District with a state-run board that would strip Disney of its control over the special tax district.
According to Foglesong, DeSantis’s politicized war with the House of Mouse has been skin-deep. He noted that when Orange County implemented a law-enforcement tax for property owners in unincorporated parts of their county, Disney was exempted from it.
Foglesong wrote:
“Was this abuse corrected by DeSantis and the Legislature? No, a ‘new sheriff’ may have come to town in the form of a new board of supervisors, as DeSantis called it, but the powers and prerogatives of the board essentially remained the same.
And what of the $1 billion in bonded debt they inherited? Beforehand, Reedy Creek borrowed a lot because they could borrow so cheaply, claiming the district contained a city with real residents and therefore able to issue tax-free municipal bonds. Tax-free as in subsidized by the federal government aka federal taxpayers.”
Newsweek also reported in 2022 that between 2019 and 2021, Disney Worldwide Services donated over $100,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC, per the Florida State Department’s campaign finance database.
I’m on deSantis side on this one. Disney has been exempt from regulatory oversight (don’t blame them) that all of the other businesses in Florida have to abide by.
Agreed, DeSantis is 100% correct on this issue.
DJT will ensure another Biden term.
DeSantis hasn’t said a word against Trump. Trump’s anxiety and insecurity over DeSantis are getting pathetic at this point.
More trumped-up insults from desperate Donald. It’s sad and pathetic.
TDS has a new definition -— Trump’s DeSantis Syndrome
I want clean elections.
I want Trump as our nominee and to win.
This crap with DeSantis has to stop.
I don’t know why people who are for DeSantis can’t just be for DeSantis without trashing Trump. He’s pointing out votes by Rep DeSantis that need to be brought up. He’s saying Disney is still getting favorable treatment in most areas which is true.
Trump has never been and will never be the enemy.
kinda wonder if the donald is suffering from side effects of “safe and effective”...
Trump just can’t help himself......how many votes does he think attacks like this is gonna get him?........I submit he’ll lose more than gain because of this self destructive behavior. SMH
Yes. Trump is ahead of himself on insulting DeSantis. Just back off Trump. You have the nomination, don’t screw it up.
Why doesn’t Trump spend his time and energy attacking Biden and Democrats? What’s the point of these constant criticisms of an ally in the Republican Party?
Deja Vu, all over again.
“people who are for DeSantis can’t just be for DeSantis without trashing Trump”
From what I see on free republic its the other way around
“I don’t know why people who are for DeSantis can’t just be for DeSantis without trashing Trump. “
DeSantis never attacked Trump, not has his supporters. This has been a left-wing attempt to split the vote between Trump and DeSantis and some feeble minded people like you are falling for it.
I’ll just toss this in cuz it’s interesting...
“You have the nomination”
No.....he doesn’t
“Trump’s anxiety and insecurity over DeSantis are getting pathetic at this point.”
anxiety and insecurity???
Yep, DeSantis has accomplished so much more in his life than Trump could ever dream about — President, built a billions of dollars empire, has faced down world leaders and battled the MSM and the Federal government for six years and still comes out ahead.
However, only thing DeSantis had to do, this special 8th day creation of God, was to beg Trump to pull his sorry ass over the line in his first election, where he almost lost it to a drug crazed homosexual.
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