DeSantis and Fox’s Watters mock ‘ridiculous’ New York plan to curb pizza oven emissions

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and Fox News’s Jesse Watters poked fun at a New York City proposal to reduce emissions from coal and wood pizza ovens in a segment Thursday.

In a Fox interview, the presidential candidate joined Watters at a local New York City pizza joint and lamented what he called the city’s government overreach, while the two shared a pie.

“They want to control your behavior. We saw the same thing with COVID. A lot of that wasn’t about your health, they wanted to control your behavior,” he said.

Last week, New York City proposed a rule that would require all coal and wood-fired pizza ovens from before 2016 to be fitted with an emissions control device. All new ovens required the device starting in 2016. 

“New York City is making this ridiculous move to ban coal-fired pizza ovens. Why? Because they say they’re causing global warming,” Watters said at the start of the segment.

The rule wouldn’t shut down your local pizza place or get rid of their oven, but it could be expensive. Restaurants would be required to at least attempt to install an emissions control device, and report to the city if they were not able. 

Emissions control devices would reduce emissions from the ovens by as much as 75 percent.

DeSantis compared it to proposed federal efforts to restrict gas stoves in new construction.

“I see a lot of the people leaving New York because of the things that are going on up here, but even I wouldn’t believe that they would have dreamt of going after this,” DeSantis said, looking at his slice of Margherita pizza. “This is a staple of this city.”

City representatives said the rule is meant to reduce air pollution in the city for health reasons and can also make a small impact on the climate.

“All New Yorkers deserve to breathe healthy air and wood and coal-fired stoves are among the largest contributors of harmful pollutants in neighborhoods with poor air quality,” Ted Timbers, a spokesperson for the city’s Department of Environmental Protection, said in a statement to CNN. 

Watters also questioned DeSantis on his lagging poll numbers; poll averages show DeSantis 20-30 points behind former President Trump for the nomination but still solidly in second place in a crowded field. DeSantis said he wasn’t worried and that more support will come with time.

“Most people aren’t paying attention there. I don’t expect to see any major shakeup. We’re laying the groundwork to be able to do well in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Nevada, Super Tuesday,” he said.