Former Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday chided Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) over his battle with Disney after the company announced it was nixing plans for a $1 billion project in the state that was expected to bring with it thousands of jobs.
Pence said on Fox Business Network that he supported Florida’s efforts to prohibit teachers from discussing gender and sexuality with young students, which Disney opposes, but he expressed concern that DeSantis had gone too far in targeting the company.
“I like Walt Disney, not Woke Disney,” Pence said.
“I just don’t believe it’s in the interests of the people of any state for a government to essentially go after a business that they disagreed with on a political issue,” Pence said.
Disney publicly opposed the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law last year, setting off a series of moves by DeSantis and his allies to punish the company, which culminated in Thursday’s loss of investment for the state.
“At the end of the day, the business of America is business, and I’m not terribly surprised to see Disney canceling a $1 billion contract,” Pence said. “That’s only going to harm people in the Orlando and Florida area, and it’s one more reason why, as a limited government conservative, I’ve said for months now that I think both sides ought to stand down. Take the victory for parents’ rights in the legislature and move on.”
Pence’s swipe at DeSantis’s handling of the Disney spat comes as the Florida governor is expected to declare his candidacy for the 2024 presidential contest next week. Pence himself is weighing a presidential bid and has in recent weeks grown more vocal in laying out his differences on policy between himself and frontrunners like DeSantis and former President Trump.
Fox Business Network anchor Larry Kudlow, who served as an economic adviser in the Trump White House, pushed Pence repeatedly about when he planned to throw his hat into the GOP primary.
Pence, who was in New Hampshire this week and will travel to Iowa next week, said he believes any candidate who wants to make a serious bid for the nomination would have to declare by the end of June, and he pledged to make a decision by then.
“We’re continuing to talk to people around the country and getting a lot of encouragement around the country,” Pence said.