Ron DeSantis warns corporate America to ‘grow some backbone’, resist ‘wokeness’ push

ron desantis
The Governor made the comments Sunday on Fox News.

Gov. Ron DeSantis blasted corporations for moves to shun certain states on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures, urging CEOs to “grow some backbone.”

“I think corporate America, by trying to genuflect to this wokeness, I think they’ve gone down a really bad road. They’re going to tie themselves into knots trying to please the extreme left,” DeSantis said to host Maria Bartiromo, before outlining his own example as instructive in dealing with the slings and arrows from critics.

“What I’ve told people is that if the left is after you, the minute you buckle, you’re just painting a bullseye on your back. They’re going to keep coming back and back and back. If you just stand your ground, yeah they’ll complain for a couple days, but they’ll move on to the next outrage,” DeSantis added.

“I think some of these corporate CEOs, they need to grow some backbone. They need to be willing to stand up and not be pushed in to taking these positions,” DeSantis added, where “they’re basically accepting very partisan left-wing narratives.”

DeSantis, who has made ideological combat central to his brand, was reflecting on moves like that of Major League Baseball, which decided to move its All Star Game from Georgia in the wake of new voting legislation.

“If you’re going to stick your beak into issues that don’t directly concern you, and I think elected officials are going to stick their beak into issues that don’t directly concern them,” DeSantis said, not elaborating on those issues.

“And so if you are Major League Baseball, and you have to move out of Atlanta because they’re having Voter I.D., well what about all the other jurisdictions that you’re in that have ‘more restrictive laws?'”

“What about the fact that you’re doing business with the Communist Party of China? The fact that you’ve done business with the Castro regime in Cuba? It doesn’t make sense,” DeSantis thundered.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. He writes for the New York Post and National Review also, with previous work in the American Conservative and Washington Times and a 15+ year run as a columnist in Folio Weekly. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


8 comments

  • Charles

    April 18, 2021 at 10:59 am

    So very thankful Florida has Gov DeSantis.

    • Linda Dehnert

      April 19, 2021 at 11:57 am

      Have a great day and God Bless!!!!

  • Ocean Joe

    April 18, 2021 at 11:07 am

    Corporate America is driven by profits. It’s an obligation to shareholders. Discrimination against folks based on color or sexual status or ethnicity is no longer good business. Corporate America doesn’t need to change, the GOP does. Otherwise you folks are in for an ugly future. Young people, including young conservatives do not have time for the ideological nonsense. NASCAR dumping the Confederate flag says it all. If Georgia, and every other red state wants to discourage eligible voters from voting because they know (as Trump said) the GOP will never win another election, the answer ought to be some self-analysis of the party and what it supposedly stands for. Until then, whichever corporations crank out the white sheets will do well.

    • Frankie M.

      April 18, 2021 at 11:21 am

      Everybody has their own boogeyman and some people like Ronnie have more than one. Corporate “wokeness”, mainstream media (see 60 minutes), social media platforms, etc, etc. He goes from one faux outrage to another while taking credit for things he had nothing to do with. He calls this leadership?

      They say you’re not happy unless you’re complaining. If that’s the case Ronnie’s the happiest guy in FL outside of one guy at Maralago. Maybe Ronnie should take his own advice and grow thicker skin.

    • Jack Meoff

      April 19, 2021 at 10:37 pm

      LOL, you slay! Corporate America, modern corporate America, is driven by profit from China, and their democrat sycophant toadies. The democrats owned the slaves, and after they lost their civil war they formed the KKK and passed the Jim Crow laws. The democrats opposed the Civil Rights Movement and the “party switch” is just another democrat Big Lie. The Republican party, mostly, stands for individual liberty (and we are driving out those who don’t); the democrats support the collective, just like the good communists they are.

  • Arthro

    April 18, 2021 at 9:24 pm

    This is the best Governor in the US. I’m so proud that he is in Florida. Thank you, Governor DeSantis.

  • Wes Palmer

    April 19, 2021 at 10:01 am

    Desantis isn’t qualified to run a lemonsde stand. He copies Trump way too much for his own good, and he also thinks he’s doing a great job. How he got to where he is bewilders me.

  • Douglas D Stauffer

    April 21, 2021 at 9:38 am

    “Clashing with the Cancel Culture”
    edited by Dr. Doug Stauffer, PhD, CPA (retired)
    Pastor, Faith Independent Baptist Church, Niceville, Florida (love my governor)

    I do not like green eggs and ham.
    I do not like them, Sam-I-am.

    I do not like them on a boat.
    I do not like them with a goat.

    I do not like them on a train
    or in the dark or in the rain.

    I do not like them here or there.
    I do not like them anywhere.

    I’ll tell you what else I do not like:

    I do not like people to call good things bad
    Nor when they call wrong things right.

    Yet, the media peddles this “cancel” culture,
    As they act like a devouring vulture,
    Politicians tout their evil intentions
    And force upon others their liberal agendas.

    You know what else makes me see red?
    attacking Dr Seuss and Mr. Potato Head
    and Speedy Gonzalez and Pepe Le Pew
    the Berenstain (Bur/rin/sten) Bears, just to name a few

    You can’t say that,
    And you can’t say this
    Well, I’ve had enough,
    and I’ve made my list

    Cancel culture has crossed the line and
    I believe that it is way past time
    for true believers to take a stand
    joined in unity all across this great land

    On Christ the solid rock I STAND
    all other ground is sinking sand
    I say, all other ground is sinking sand

    With cancel culture I certainly disagree
    When they claim we can’t say words like “he” or “she”
    For me, the Bible settled this issue
    if this makes them mad, then hand them a tissue

    Male and female, God created them
    and who are they to challenge Him?
    He came to earth as a babe in a manger
    The depths of this love, we were all a stranger

    See Jesus came to save the lost
    When He died upon that Old Rugged Cross
    His body lay in that cold, dark tomb for three whole days
    While He defeated the foes of death, hell and the grave

    He arose with all power, dominion and might
    with the stone rolled away, He finished that fight

    Frankly, I’ve had enough
    And I petition all to join this fight;
    Remember the duty of all true Patriots
    Stand up! for what’s right

    Many Americans have abandoned their posts
    losing their freedoms and the things we treasure most

    this is the time for us to take it all back
    yes, time to stand up and get back on track

    Although this poem started with green eggs and ham,
    the poem is really about the great Creator—the blessed “I am.”

Comments are closed.


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