Posted on 09/14/2023 2:50:52 AM PDT by Morgana
On Wednesday night, CBS Evening News aired part two of anchor Norah O’Donnell’s sit-down interview with Florida Republican governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis. The interview went so poorly for O’Donnell that she was forced to leave most of it on the cutting room floor and hide it on CBS’s website where most people would never see it.
The part of the interview that did make it to air was O’Donnell pestering and nagging DeSantis about his state’s 15-week abortion law. “There is new data out that the number of abortions in Florida has actually increased, and increased since Dobbs,” O’Donnell touted. “For those who oppose abortion rights, is it time to enact a national ban on abortion?”
DeSantis explained that “the issue with Florida is that the southeastern states have very, very strong pro-life laws. Florida is litigating under a 15-week, and so we have become, against our wishes, a destination.”
“Now we’ve also done the Heartbeat Protection Act, which would go into effect once the courts clear this, which I think would probably stop the whole abortion tourism thing, so we don't want to be an abortion tourism destination,” DeSantis added.
Before the governor could finish answering her question, O’Donnell rudely interrupted like a petulant child.
“Why won't you answer that question? She asked.
DeSantis responded: “What do you mean?”
“About why you would support a federal ban,” O’Donnell shot back.
DeSantis responded: “I support pro-life policies. I will be a pro-life President. But at the same time, I got to chart the course and be honest with people about, okay, how do you advance the ball like we did in Florida. And the way you do that is really bottom-up.”
Next, O’Donnell asked DeSantis if the “penalties mentioned in Florida's six-week ban would include women.”
DeSantis responded that “the penalties are for the physician.” Before he could finish answering, O’Donnell interjected again and decided she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
“Governor, I read the bill,” she snarked. “It says just this: It does include jail time and fines for any person who willfully performs or actively participates in a termination of pregnancy."
“That’s for the providers. It is not for the women,” DeSantis calmly responded.
O’Donnell then started shrieking at DeSantis:
O’DONNELL: Is a woman not actively participating in the termination of her pregnancy?
DESANTIS: No, because she’s not a medical practitioner and so there are no—
O’DONNELL: You are not for criminalizing women?
DESANTIS: No, absolutely not, and that will not happen in Florida.
The left-wing anchor then came back live and informed viewers that the rest of the interview would be available on CBS News’s website.
After NewsBusters viewed the video online, it was clear why it wasn’t allowed to go to air. DeSantis schooled O'Donnell on the media’s dishonest coverage of the fake travel advisory warning put out by the radical left-wing group NAACP.
When O’Donnell slimed DeSantis and his policies as being racist because African Americans and “LGBQ” people in Florida think DeSantis discriminates, DeSantis set her and the rest of the leftist media straight.
“Well, part of the reason they think that is 'cause of narratives that are put out by media," DeSantis noted.
"When we had the fight with Disney over the elementary education about, should you have things about sex and gender identity telling a second grader that their gender's fluid? We said, 'Absolutely not.' Parents in Florida agreed. And throughout — the country I think agreed with that,” he added.
This nasty interview by CBS’s Norah O’Donnell was made possible by Aleve.
The transcript is below:
CBS Evening News 9/13/2023 6:45:52 p.m. Eastern
NORAH O’DONNELL: There is new data out that the number of abortions in Florida has actually increased, and increased since Dobbs. For those who oppose abortion rights, is it time to enact a national ban on abortion?
GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS: Well, the issue with Florida is that the southeastern states have very, very strong pro-life laws. Florida is litigating under a 15-week, and so we have become, against our wishes, a destination. Now we’ve also done the Heartbeat Protection Act, which would go into effect once the courts clear this, which I think would probably stop the whole abortion tourism thing, so we don't want to be an abortion tourism destination.
O’DONNELL: Why won't you answer that question?
DESANTIS: What do you mean?
O’DONNELL: About why you would
DESANTIS: I support—
O’DONNELL: Support a federal ban—
DESANTIS: I support pro-life policies. I will be a pro-life President. But at the same time, I got to chart the course and be honest with people about, okay, how do you advance the ball like we did in Florida. And the way you do that is really bottom-up.
[Applause]
O’DONNELL: We asked the governor whether the penalties mentioned in Florida's six-week ban would include women.
DESANTIS: We have no criminal -- the penalties are for the physician. I mean a lot of these—
O’DONNELL: Governor, I read the bill, it says just this: It does include jail time and fines for "Any person who willfully performs or actively participates in a termination of pregnancy."
DESANTIS: And that’s for the providers. It is not for the women.
O’DONNELL: Is a woman not actively participating in the termination of her pregnancy?
DESANTIS: No, because she’s not a medical practitioner and so there are no—
O’DONNELL: You are not for criminalizing women?
DESANTIS: No, absolutely not, and that will not happen in Florida.
President Trump ushered in the most Prolife policies and results that we have ever had!
One reason why I will vote for him again!
These women who have abortions have HIRED KILLERS to KILL THEIR BABIES!! PURE DEMONIC EVIL!
Killing babies is ALL these women CARE ABOUT!!
More Republicans should do interviews with people like Norah O’Donnell, if you can passionately defend your positions then you have nothing to worry about.
Instead of going on echo chambers like Fox News, challenge yourself and go on MSNBC, CBS, etc., and passionately and aggressively defend your positions, the only thing for a Republican to worry about is if they are a lightweight and don’t actually believe in the positions they advocate.
This gallant punch back exchange with a communist media satan slave is a reminder of how much good DeSantis could be doing in the fight to save America. Instead he is making a fool of himself burning through NeverTrump and hate America money and doing Jack Smith’s work.
Let’s hope he gets his head out of his ash soon, comes to his senses, and starts being the guy we elected here in Florida.
America needs the real Ron DeSantis to join the fight.
Yet Trump criticizes Desantis as a Extremist on Abortion and is
acting like he had nothing to do with the Supreme court ruling .
I dont trust that Queens Developer .
If they do interviews with the leftists, they must be sure they have a copy of the whole exchange. The problem is not that conservatives can’t make stronger arguments, it’s that selective editing makes them look like fools.
That’s a true statement, get the entire interview and if they cut out or distort what was really said, then make the interviewer look like a fool.
Most of the people who watch the interview will not like the Republican to begin with, IMO, it can only help by perhaps persuading the 1% of the viewers who might be swayed.
To me, I don’t see a downside so long as you get a copy of the entire interview and post it to social media.
The Republican going in should know they will get drilled and interrupted by someone who is out to trip them up, be prepared, know your issues and take them on, it can only make you a better debater.
You must be off your meds.
What a shame DeSantis didn’t wait four years before running.
One thing we’ll never see is a hard-core leftist Democrat going on a show where they’ll be asked tough questions. They never venture outside their “safe zones”. Cowards all.
Hard Core Leftists don’t need to go into tough interviews, Conservatives do.
The vast majority of the media, newspapers, etc. are all liberal, for conservatives the options are much more limited. If you want to grow the number of Conservatives, given the makeup of the media, you can’t just exist in an echo chamber, you have to go into enemy territory and take them on.
What a shame DeSantis didn’t wait four years before running.
Yes, though he may be able to win the general election, he will not be able to be the R candidate barring Trump’s demise. Wish he’d suspend his campaign now, get behind Trump, and save his campaign chest for 2028 when the R’s will need a real dynamic candidate. To continue his current Quixotic campaign now just further angers all the Trump supporters who will not forget in 2027 during primary season.
I don’t understand why he even granted an interview to this crazy broad and her resting bitch face.
He's trying to show his gravitas. Trump goes in and chews these media clowns up and spits them out. DeSantis is a mini metoo.
A good example of this, is the Biden impeachment investigation, most liberals have heard nothing about all the dirty deals the Biden family has been involved in over the years.
The Liberal Networks either don’t report on the issues or keep repeating the lie that no evidence exists.
It’s critical for Republicans to go on these networks and calmly and with confidence explain what the Biden Family has been up to over the years.
It won’t change the mind of many liberals but if it changes 1% of the minds it’s worth doing.
thats my take away.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.