Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) gave some insight into his strategy in dealing with the media, saying going “on offense” against journalists has been politically beneficial to him.
“If you’re not on offense, then you’re basically a sitting duck and you let these people come and just take pot shots at you all the time,” DeSantis said during a recent interview with conservative pundit Mark Levin that aired on Fox News on Sunday evening. “It’s hard for them to keep up with you when you’re constantly doing new things and leading on different issues, and we’ve pretty much kept that pace going throughout my entire tenure as governor.”
The Republican noted his constituents appreciate his combative tone with the press, saying “people see you’re out there, they see you’re active, but it makes it more difficult for these narratives to take hold when they’re actually coming to shoot at ya.”
DeSantis, who is making a series of appearances in various media outlets to promote a new book, is widely expected to take on former president Trump for the 2024 Republican nomination for president.
Like Trump, DeSantis has used the press as a frequent foil, often criticizing coverage of him and Republicans more generally and granting interviews to conservative outlets more sympathetic to his agenda and messaging.
Last week, the governor’s press team said he would boycott media appearances on NBC News and MSNBC shows until one of the network’s star reporters apologizes for a question she posed about the governor’s education policies.