A.G. Gancarski
Fox News has offered glowing coverage of Gov. Ron DeSantis since he was in Congress, but it’s not always huzzahs and hosannas.
An example of critical coverage appeared Monday morning on the Fox Business Network when anchor Dagen McDowell offered a blistering critique of $450 checks sent to Florida families via the Hope Florida initiative, calling it “pandering” and “moronacy” and comparing DeSantis to a recent Democratic foil, California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
McDowell, the fill-in host for Monday’s “Mornings with Maria,” said DeSantis “is sending stimulus checks to lower-income Floridians, which again is a level of moronacy that you see out of Gavin Newsom.”
“We’re going to fight inflation by fueling inflation with stimulus checks, regardless of who you’re sending them to,” McDowell said. “Again, that’s pandering.”
“Actually, it’s worse than pandering,” the anchor said. “You’re just handing money out to people.”
When the commentary was spotlighted on Twitter, McDowell doubled-down on the use of “moronacy” and the comparison to Newsom.
“I said the same thing about Newsom,” McDowell tweeted. “Let’s fight inflation by fomenting it? That is moronacy.”
First Lady Casey DeSantis rolled out the spending this summer, saying the Governor’s Office was “making sure that we’re doing everything we can on behalf of Florida families … so $35 million within that budget will then go to support our foster and adoptive families — our single moms across the state — so they will get a one-time payment of $450.” Suggested spending of the money included buying diapers and gas.
The Governor’s Office responded on Twitter to McDowell and to questions posed by Florida Politics.
Deputy Press Secretary Bryan Griffin said McDowell “is wrong about Florida’s foster care family aid.”
Griffin tweeted, “1) the payments were specifically for foster care families, 2) the $$ was repurposed federal dollars that would have to be utilized or lost to (Joe) Biden (wasted), 3) states don’t cause inflation — the fed printing $$ did.”
McDowell responded: “Stimulus checks. Extra welfare. Targeted relief. Call it what you will. Handing out more money when inflation is running at a 40-year high is bad economic policy. And the idea that Republicans are somehow better at spending taxpayer money than Democrats? Laughable. Stop spending.”
Griffin’s sentiments were echoed by Press Secretary Christina Pushaw in a response to our emailed question.
“Even though this Fox Business correspondent is clearly mistaken about the cause of inflation, she’s entitled to express her own opinion. Unlike the partisan ‘mainstream’ media and liberal politicians, we do not expect any media outlet to act as an extension of the governor’s press office,” Pushaw contended.
DeSantis has said in the past his administration has discretion as to how to deploy federal pandemic relief dollars.
“We got this money dumped,” DeSantis noted in March. “I could have just spent it and said it was emergency spending.”
The Governor’s Office and political operation have had a friendly relationship with Fox News properties.
The prime-time Fox News shows gave DeSantis an invaluable platform during the 2018 Governor’s race, and since elected, the network has offered dozens of largely uncritical interviews where the Governor has encountered little pushback from his questioners.
For now, it seems that at least officially, the DeSantis operation is unfazed by this example of more aggressive coverage from the Fox family.
Democrats capitalized on the whole storyline, meanwhile.
“This is a textbook example of Ron DeSantis acting like your average phony politician. His position on COVID relief checks is entirely dependent on how it affects him politically – the economic struggles of Floridians don’t even factor into the equation. Now, even conservative media is pointing out how hypocritical DeSantis is,” said Florida Democratic Party spokesperson Travis Reuther.
Ouch. @dagenmcdowell goes after “pandering” @GovRonDeSantis and accuses him of “moronacy” and driving inflation with stimulus checks to low income families. Looks like the gloves are coming off re: Americas Governor. pic.twitter.com/TRc9MhD9cO
— AG Gancarski (@AGGancarski) July 25, 2022
29 comments
Joe Corsin
July 25, 2022 at 10:16 am
Vote RED for liars, grifters, and right wing thuggery.
Vote RED for government for the rich.
Vote RED for dangerous conspiracy theories and far right propaganda to labotomize the stupid
Vote RED for low wage slavery and unaffordable housing
Vote RED for Taliban Sharia Law
Cindy
July 25, 2022 at 1:37 pm
Joe, you must be a colorblind white male who has been voting blue all your life and now have all the above in your life! You should be proud….
Joe Corsin
July 25, 2022 at 1:45 pm
Vote RED for capitalist crooks like Rick Scott.
Vote RED for troll blubber ass FAT Cammack
Vote RED for machines replacing humans and humans becoming slaves.
Vote RED for far right terrorists and forced birth of meth babies and crack babies
Vote RED for religious law and draconian punishment
Wampam
July 30, 2022 at 1:33 am
Joe–Instead of distinct ideas and thoughtful commentary, I have seen you copy and paste this same screed over and over and over and over…ad nauseum. First off, if you are voting Democratic Party, it has become a Maoist Marxist doctrinaire party. You talk about RED? Well, the Democrats are Communist RED just like Cuba. No free speech allowed. It is truly a scary drive into “1984.” No dissension, right Joe?
Next time
August 1, 2022 at 7:48 am
“Distinct ideas and thoughtful commentary”
You people build your houses near rivers in Kentucky the it rains.
Think about that RED lol
PeterH
July 25, 2022 at 12:01 pm
Pandering or not pandering is not the question. The money was earmarked for the pandemic….and DeSantis has made a bold decision not to use the money for that purpose.
Will DeSantis be looking for another “pandemic money grab” in the future as his Florida unvaccinated become more sick and need hospitalization? Currently 70+ Florida residents die of Covid every day.
If the Republican Party could point to one red State in the USA or even a foreign country that they have managed for the past four decades and say;
‘See …. This red state is an economic powerhouse ….. a model that Americans should follow”
If they could point to one idealized model ….. we might pay attention.
But we all know that red states are failed nanny states dependent on blue states for survival. Take for example Lindsey Graham’s failed state of South Carolina. For every dollar SC sends to the National treasury the State receives $7.50 in return.
Or how about Florida:
For every dollar Ron DeSantis sends to The National Treasury …. the State receives $4.50 in return.
Can you understand why Republicans use a Florida mailing address to avoid blue State taxes where they reside ten months per year? A Florida car registration and address is an ideal Republican grift to avoid a tax on their income.
Elliott Offen
July 25, 2022 at 7:55 pm
Whoever uses “a red state address” to avoid taxes is a piece of chit. Not only because they avoid contributing to the common good but because they contribute to a poor environment in Florida. Government does nothing for anyone in Florida but TAKE. GOP and their voters grift tourists, they grift workers ( typically low wages), and they grift the federal government.They could be doing tons to help impoverished rural areas in Florida but they do nothing whatsoever. No highspeed rail, no commercial development projects, no attraction of investment. Whole state is just a grift for the rich…who don’t want to contribute to anyone but themselves. The blue cities are the only places worth spending ones life in.
C Z
July 27, 2022 at 10:49 am
Exactly! For instance Trump who’s always on NYC but his mailing and tax address is his Mar-a-largo FL resort.
And there’s more stink to that, if you ever heard of the city of Doral, FL, it’s a tiny city surrounded by Miami. Trump and others managed to detach that square piece off of Miami as its own town in 2003, in order to dodge the city’s 1% tax and business taxes (Trump corporation is registered there). You’d say “oh but that’s fair game”, except that most of their residents work in Miami, basically taking advantage of all the fireman, police stations, roads and Miami business incentives without paying any taxes.
Kansas City, MO at some point was being ripped off like that so they passed a city law that anyone either working or living there is subject to the 1% income tax, period.
Anyone against taxes trying to justify people like Trump doing that, keep in mind every time they figure out how to dodge taxes, they help increase YOUR taxes. Don’t be fooled by them.
That’s why I’m voting the GOP out this November.
Nancy
July 25, 2022 at 1:02 pm
Florida balances it’s budget every year. Unlike California and the Federal budget!!!! That is not causing debt for the citizens of Florida. PLUS we have no state income tax. California….a bunch!!
Joe Corsin
July 25, 2022 at 3:25 pm
Vote RED for rich grifters and rich people
Vote RED for far right propaganda to brainwash stupid people into supporting people who merely shovel money to the rich
Vote RED for right wing religious police state
Vote RED for low wage slavery
PeterH
July 25, 2022 at 5:36 pm
Nancy,
Florida like California BALANCES THEI BUDGET by increasing State Debt. Florida’s debt is $24 billion dollars and California’s state debt is $143 billion. The difference here is if California were a COUNTRY that country would have the 6th highest GDP on planet earth. Additionally California has double the population of Florida.
It’s great living in Florida with zero State income tax ….. but that benefit to YOU is paid for by the taxpayers of California and most other blue states.
For every dollar Florida sends to the National Treasury the state receives $.4.50 in return.
For every dollar California sends to the National treasury the state receives $00.80 in return.
Elliott Offen
July 25, 2022 at 7:45 pm
North Florida is a sewer, low wage slave plantation, underdeveloped commercially, human waste dump. So while Ron sits on all the money, rednecks continue to eat their babies in places like Putnam county. Only South Florida is habitable and civilized…. BECAUSE BLUE!!!!!!!
Impeach Biden
July 25, 2022 at 9:14 pm
Elliot and Joe are the same person. Now way there are two of them as dumb as that.
Tom
July 26, 2022 at 6:40 am
I have destroyed corsin, elliot and peter h. Crock of manure, all three.
Clueless, hapless, hopeless.
Arrogant, pathetic, elite bastards, always tearing down others.
Soros Manchurian boot lickers!
Meaningless.
Bill
July 26, 2022 at 7:39 am
And I’m sure the irony of your comment is completely lost on you. Too funny.
Joe Corsin
July 26, 2022 at 8:10 am
^ Schizophrenic delusion, gibberish, quite possibly on pills and booze.
Bill
July 26, 2022 at 10:09 am
Here’s one for you Tom – Why won’t your boy denounce the nazi’s that were outside the turning point conference with their ‘desantis country” flags last weekend? Simple enough question. Even Rick Scott denounced them (apparently he realizes that there just might be a few Jewish voters in Florida – go figure).
FP Monitor
July 26, 2022 at 11:51 am
It’s a big mistake to respond to anything Tom posts. He’s an arrogant ignorant uneducated Trumpster hack simply looking for the attention he doesn’t get from friends or family. Tom is all about personal attacks and lying. Tom will never allow truthful facts get in the way of his continuous fake news story line! Tom makes stuff up as he types. Just like his hero figures Trump and childish Madison Cawthorn, Tom vacillates in a cesspool of absurd self-grandiose magical thinking. Do yourself and ALL OF US a big favor. Ignore all of his return comments. Maybe the internet troll will go away.
Don
July 28, 2022 at 5:24 pm
Just blow him already!!
Gregiri
July 30, 2022 at 10:21 am
This is surely a joke – the old “it’s cheap in Florida” trope has been disproven time and time again.
Need I mention car insurance and house insurance which is 2 to 5X the cost of elsewhere? Since we ALL need to pay these it’s part of the regular cost of living.
With almost NO trains, we have to sit in traffic and take 3 hours for a 90 minute drive (let alone the high death rate on our roads). #42 in Health Care – #39 in GDP per Capita.
YYep
July 25, 2022 at 2:27 pm
What ever it is America is doing o.k on the most part the rest is just a arenia show.
John Barron
July 26, 2022 at 9:22 am
DeSantis is a RINO libtard pretending to be trump jr. A total disgrace to the republicans!!!
Elliott Offen
July 26, 2022 at 11:59 am
Then vote BLUE idiot!!!!!!
Chet Suggs
July 26, 2022 at 2:08 pm
Typical angry three inch demtard lib
Joe Corsin
July 26, 2022 at 3:32 pm
^ Choice of words indicates this individual is only 13 years of age. At any rate, mentally too young to vote. Liable to be grifted to a husk by right wing opportunistic predator…
Earl Pitts American
July 26, 2022 at 11:00 am
Good Morning America,
Dagen’s main job at Fox is to “stir the poo” which naturally releases additional “poo smell” which naturally attracts ” journalists of the caliber of Gancarski.
Degan is not a right wing sycophant and calls them as she sees them. Right now Degan sees the $450. as something leftist politicians do to intentionally torpedo the economey.
She should look at it as a releatively small amount of money DeSantis saved thru frugal fiscal oversight of Florida’s economey and an insignaficant to the budget amount while being a Godsend to some of Florida’s most vulnerable citizens who are suffering under the “Biden” total and complete mismanagement of our once [ just 2 years ago ] Great Nation. Sorry Degan but America does not agree and we love DeSantis.
Thank you America,
Earl Pitts American
Yaboy DeathSantis is Dull
July 26, 2022 at 8:53 pm
DeathSantis saved that money and all it cost was thousands who died but didn’t need to if they had been in a state with adult leadership. DeathSantis doesn’t have an original thought or idea and is quite dull and low energy. This will become very obvious as he tries to compete on the national stage with the grown-ups.
No worries for him though. We’re going to send him back home this November so he can jump back into private practice chasing ambulances and grifting for settlements.
Charlotte Greenbarg
July 26, 2022 at 2:09 pm
Joe Corsin and his far left troll friends expose themselves and the lunacy of their rants. Rational people reject them.
Joe Corsin
July 26, 2022 at 3:28 pm
^ Right wing filthy filthy, right wing greasy greasy, right wing nasty nasty neanderthal….
Comments are closed.