Ron DeSantis rips ‘total failures’ honored on Presidents’ Day

DeSantis AP
The Governor's got no love for James Buchanan or Woodrow Wilson.

Florida’s Governor is back online with strong takes on American history, including suggesting that some Presidents don’t merit being honored at all.

“I hope everybody had a good Presidents’ Day weekend. But you know the idea that we honor all Presidents, what?” Ron DeSantis said. “James Buchanan and Woodrow Wilson, these guys were total failures.”

DeSantis went on to extol George Washington as “the one guy who was indispensable” before fragging the same two former Chief Executives he mentioned at the start of his two-minute clip.

“So Feb. 22, honor George Washington. We don’t need to be honoring people like Woodrow Wilson and James Buchanan. Washington was first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.”

Interestingly, DeSantis has discussed his “favorite President” before … and it wasn’t Washington.

“People don’t talk about him a lot,” DeSantis said of Calvin Coolidge.

But his choice of Coolidge served up an opportunity for DeSantis to dive into what a dim view the 30th President would have of the current state of affairs.

“We need to restore the U.S. Constitution as the centerpiece of our national life,” DeSantis said. “And that requires a President who understands the original understanding of the Constitution … who knows how we’ve gone off track with this massive fourth branch of government, this administrative state which is imposing its will on us and is being weaponized against us.”

One interesting bill signed by “Silent Cal”: the Immigration Act of 1924. The measure established immigration quotas and banned people from Asia.

“Silent Cal knew the proper role of the federal government,” DeSantis said as he asserted that the country was in “great shape” when he was President.

DeSantis even suggested that Coolidge was not to blame for setting up economic calamity that followed after he left office.

“And then of course, they eventually had under (Herbert) Hoover, the Great Depression,” DeSantis said. “Had Coolidge been in there, they probably would have gotten through that much better because he was just really, really good.”

The Governor didn’t make it clear why he rates Wilson and Buchanan below other questionable leaders, such as Andrew Johnson.

Buchanan was unable to head off the Civil War during his one term that ended in 1861, while Wilson led America through World War I and was instrumental in the formation of the League of Nations.

For what it’s worth, the American Political Science Association agrees with DeSantis on Buchanan, claiming the only President worse was Donald Trump. They rank Wilson 15th, however.

___

Anne Geggis contributed to this report.

A.G. Gancarski

A.G. Gancarski has been the Northeast Florida correspondent for Florida Politics since 2014. His work also can be seen in the Washington Post, the New York Post, the Washington Times, and National Review, among other publications. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter: @AGGancarski


10 comments

  • Abram Nicholson

    February 22, 2024 at 4:20 pm

    What an idiot. Praising Coolidge and downing Hoover. Coolidge caused the Great Depression and left Hoover to clean it up. Almost as big a liar as Trump.

    • MH/Duuuval

      February 23, 2024 at 2:32 pm

      Coolidge broke up the Boston police strike and hired replacement workers, just like Dee’s hero Reagan broke the air controller’s strike.

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  • Dont Say FLA

    February 22, 2024 at 5:08 pm

    Cheeky Rhonda, trying to con folks into looking up the Best & Worst Presidents List so they can stumble onto 45 being the 45th which means worst ever. Good for you Rhonda.

  • Bwj

    February 22, 2024 at 5:11 pm

    For a history major, why is he attacking Wilson?

    • MH/Duuuval

      February 22, 2024 at 6:37 pm

      Wilson often came off as a white racist, which should not be a surprise as he was a Virginian and a Victorian. (He had the film Birth of a Nation screened in the White House, and while he was President the civil service and federal buildings were segregated.)

      Taking the US into a European civil war, aka WWI, was dubious. His attempt to create a League of Nations was too little, too late.

      What did I leave out?

  • Mayorkas Impeached

    February 22, 2024 at 5:16 pm

    Didn’t take long for the Howlers to show up.

    • MH/Duuuval

      February 22, 2024 at 6:32 pm

      Mayorkas was impeached, but he won’t be convicted. Andrew Johnson was impeached, but not convicted. DJT was impeached twice, but was never convicted.

      You got nothing.

  • wake up everyday

    February 23, 2024 at 8:56 am

    Original intent, yeah right. Dumb MF. Slavery! Women as property! Legal cannabis? Cocaine? Weaponized 4th branch? Geeze. Every time he speaks, Rona puts his white boot into his big mouth with his fake smile. I’m surprised that he didn’t say that we should not celebrate Presidents’ day because he will never be President!

Comments are closed.


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