That occurs a day after DeSantis declared that Disney had violated the law by attempting to thwart the establishment of a new state-appointed board to manage the company’s special district. The Florida legislature is currently taking action to nullify all of the last-minute agreements struck by the previous board, and it looks like they are doing so on a very sound legal foundation.
However, in a message published on Truth Social, Trump lamented the legal struggle Disney was facing and predicted the firm would stop investing in Florida and sell all of its holdings (apparently to relocate Disney World).
It came only a few days after Donald Trump Jr. asked conservatives to cease a long-running boycott against Bud Light before Trump sided with Disney in its legal spat with DeSantis. Both times, it seems the Trumps are more concerned with securing donations than they are with triumphing in crucial cultural conflicts. Given that Trump is running on a platform of upholding justice and improving Washington, DC, that isn’t exactly reassuring. His ability to resist a corporation as overtly progressive as Disney raises doubts about his willingness to fend off any significant cultural challenge. You won’t be able to take down the deep state if you won’t even challenge Disney.
To say that Florida will sell its properties and that we should therefore leave them alone is cowardly nonsense. The combined size of Disney World and the nearby properties is double that of Manhattan. Tens of billions of dollars are invested in every structure there. They would never be able to pay to reconstruct what they already have in Florida, in addition to the fact that they would never find a buyer. Never mind that California is the only place in the nation with the appropriate climate, and Disney is clearly not going to have just one park in the states with the worst business climates in the union.
In actuality, conservatives have almost entire sway over Disney. Trump is advocating total renunciation of all leverage in exchange for nothing. Why? It may be assumed that this is the case because Disney executives gave Trump tens of millions of dollars in 2020.
I’m aware that bringing this up would infuriate some people who don’t want to accept the truth, but Trump has a problem with contributors kowtowing to him. Trump was never going to self-fund a 2024 campaign, making the entire “rich people can’t be controlled thing” a joke. The past week has opened my eyes to the fact that I can only assess a person by their behavior.
Politically and culturally, the war against Disney is too crucial to let up on. The protection of children is the most crucial problem. It is not a “political stunt” to attempt to do so, and if Trump believes it is, it raises serious concerns.
Although I am aware that Trump is just doing the reverse of what DeSantis is doing, it is not an acceptable defense. The Republican Party needs leaders who will take on the difficult challenges and see their plans through, even when there are obstacles and it is not in their best interests politically. Trump doesn’t have to be the nominee in 2024 if he isn’t going to be that person. We’ll see whether he suggests a change of direction.
