The dispute between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney World heated up last month when the company sued DeSantis and other government officials, accusing them of retaliation against the company for exercising its constitutional rights last year when it criticized a Florida law that bars classroom discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity.
According to The Washington Post, what started as a feud between DeSantis and Disney has now become a war between DeSantis and Disney's CEO Bob Iger.
Last month, responding to DeSantis’ tax district declaring Disney’s development agreements void, the company went to court, alleging government interference in its contracts and retaliation for daring to criticize DeSantis' policies.
“The mouse brought in the big guns,” said Dave Aronberg, a state attorney in Palm Beach County and former Democratic state senator. “The problem with DeSantis’ case is that he and his supporters never tried to hide their true intentions. You can’t do any of this in retaliation.”
Former Republican state representative Jeff Brandes said the feud has been good for DeSantis in the sense that it has kept his name in the headlines, but he “got himself into something that he doesn’t know how to get out of" while Disney is creating the image that it's standing up for its employees.
Some GOP leaders have warned that the feud may be hurting DeSantis in the long run. Trump called the feud "a political stunt," saying on Truth Social that the company's next move "will be the announcement that no more money will be invested in Florida because of the Governor – in fact, they could even announce a slow withdrawal or sale of certain properties, or the whole thing. Watch!”
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, has called for DeSantis to negotiate with Disney.
“Why wouldn’t you sit down and negotiate and talk? If there’s differences, you can always find ways that you can solve this problem," McCarthy said last month on CNBC.
