Former Vice President Mike Pence shot Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a piece published Monday, saying his 2024 challenger is “following in the footsteps of the radical left” by waging war on Disney.
The former Indiana governor pointed to DeSantis as an example of Republicans’ abandonment of free market principles, saying his actions were an affront to American principles.
“Another prominent example is Disney, a company that has trumpeted its leftist values by condemning conservative education and parental rights reforms in Florida. Governors across the country are right to pursue these policies and protect our children,” Pence wrote.
“But when the governor of Florida decided to launch a massive campaign of government retribution against Disney, he wasn’t taking a page out of the conservative playbook — he was following in the footsteps of the radical left,” he added.
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Republican presidential candidate and former Vice President Mike Pence greets the crowd after speaking at the Celebrate Life Day rally outside the Lincoln Memorial on June 24, 2023, in Washington, DC (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
With his actions, Pence said DeSantis risked billions of dollars in investment, thousands of jobs and “abandoned the principles that make our country great.”
“None of this is necessary. The best way to change the behavior of businesses is to hit them where it hurts – the pocketbook. The American people seem to understand this fact, as evidenced by their grassroots boycotts and changes in purchasing habits,” Pence said, pointing to recent losses from “woke companies” Target and Bud Light. He said such companies are being called out for “their ideological excesses.”
“The bottom line is this: Conservatives can either be for politically motivated government intervention in the private sector, or we can be against it,” Pence added.
Pence, who officially launched his campaign earlier this month, has also blamed Democrats for what he sees as an abuse of power and the constitutional mandate aimed at advancing its agenda and punishing opponents.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis arrives at a campaign event Monday, June 26, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. (Sergio Flores for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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He claimed that some Republicans would ask his fellow party members to “emulate” Democrats and “be progressive conservatives.”
“We don’t have to abandon our principles to win. We just need leaders with the courage to speak the hard truths, and faith that the American people will rally to our cause. Now as always, physicians of the American soul must resist the temptation to put what’s popular over what’s smart,” Pence concluded.
Fox News Digital’s requests for comment from DeSantis were not immediately returned, but a spokesperson for his campaign pointed to the Tallahassee Democrat in a June 5 interview on the “Brian Kilmeade Show.”
“But I think there’s also the other issue of, you know, as Republicans, you can’t just be a stooge for corporate America. You have to be willing to stand up for individual taxpayers. You have to be willing to stand up for small business. So the days of Republicans just deferring to big corporations, I think, have to come to an end,” the governor told the “Fox & Friends” co-host.
Republican presidential candidate and former Vice President Mike Pence delivers a speech at a Celebrate Life Day Rally at the Lincoln Memorial on June 24, 2023, in Washington, DC (Photo by Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images)
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“Not all the other Republicans are willing to do that. But I think with me and what we’ve done through the good fight, corporations and ESG kneeling in Florida, we’re willing to stand up to these people because of I think they are trying to pursue an agenda that is not in the best interest of our country,” he asserted.
The governor’s year-long feud with Disney dates back to last year, resulting in lawsuits from Disney and the Central Florida Tourism board.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
