Incumbent Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis slammed his gubernatorial opponent, Democrat Charlie Crist, for implying that anyone who supports him is full of “hate.”
Speaking on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” this Wednesday, the governor explained that people, including parents, voting for the guy who’s been “fighting for them” on several policy fronts doesn’t make them hateful.
“People support me because I kept the state open and protected their jobs. Charlie Crist wanted it locked down. So that’s not hate in their heart. They’re just appreciative that they had a governor who was standing up for them,” he said.
“Parents around the state support me because we made sure schools were open, and we’re working to make sure they get education not indoctrination. That’s not hate in their heart. They’re just appreciative that they have a governor that’s fighting for them.”
He added that it’s “contemptible” how Crist “claims that he wants to unify Florida” but then turns around and “condemn[s] a majority of the people in the state of Florida.”
“Give me a break!” DeSantis said.
“And the thing about what I’ve done is, you know, we’ve done issues that people across the spectrum have been able to agree with, and that’s really what it’s all about. It’s not hating the other side. It’s trying to have policies that a majority can agree with,” he added.
The response from the governor came only hours after Crist, fresh off of winning his Democrat primary race, said point-blank at his first general election campaign stop early Wednesday that he doesn’t want the vote of anyone who currently supports DeSantis.
Listen:
“Those who support the governor should stay with him and vote for him, and I don’t want your vote. If you have that hate in your heart, keep it there,” he said.
“I want the vote of the people of Florida who care about our state: good Democrats, good Independents, good Republicans. Unify with this ticket. Those who are haters, you’re gonna go off in your own world.”
Notice how he basically implied that anyone — Democrat, Independent, or Republican — who currently backs DeSantis is morally bad and repugnant.
The seemingly bigoted remarks provoked heavy backlash on social media, with critics noting that he sounded like the hateful one, not DeSantis.
Look:
Charlie your whole campaign is fueled by nothing but HATE of our tremendous Governor @RonDeSantisFL
— letsgobrandon (@jefftippett4) August 25, 2022
@CharlieCrist You sound like the one filled with hate! A vote for u is a vote to go backwards ~ @GovRonDeSantis has made Florida great, free & safe…
— Michelle Massaro (@MichelleMassar5) August 25, 2022
His true colors were just shown for the world to see saying those that don’t vote for him have hate in their hearts. What a prick.
— Critically Thinking & Drinking 🤔🥃🍹🧉🍻🤪 (@TheCriticalDri1) August 25, 2022
Running on respect and unity (😂) when you just accused @GovRonDeSantis of running on hate for his special interest donors….do you really not see the hypocrisy of your own statement?
— Jon Vaughan (@JonVaughan2022) August 25, 2022
You hate more than half the state!@CharlieCrist … You do not want our votes, because you have no chance of getting them. You spew more hate than all those you claim are full of hate put together.
— Don R (@DonR19159772) August 25, 2022
Your new party, over the last several years, has done nothing but fuel hate, divisiveness and violence—going against respect, unity, and progress.
It seems like you’re projecting here.
— Manuel (@conceptualmanny) August 25, 2022
Yet Crist has only doubled down on his attacks.
Case in point:
While DeSantis is running his campaign on a hate-fueled, divisive agenda that his special interest donors want him to push – we’re running on respect, unity, and progress.
Because that’s what the Floridians are fighting for. Will you help us get to 190k to build our movement?
— Charlie Crist (@CharlieCrist) August 24, 2022
During his appearance on Fox News, the governor also accused Crist of being a “chameleon” and “typical career politician.”
This particular remark was based on the current Democrat’s political history. As previously reported, he used to be a Republican who served first as Florida’s attorney general from 2003 to 2007 and then later as the state’s governor from 2007 to 2011.
During his last full year in office, however, he apparently had a suspiciously timed change of heart when his attempt to run for a Senate seat fell by the wayside.
“Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, determining that he can’t win the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, has decided to exit that race and run in November’s general election without a party affiliation,” The Wall Street Journal reported at the time.
Two years later, he endorsed then-President Barack Obama and formally joined the Democrat Party, prompting criticism from his former Republican colleagues.
“In recent weeks, Republicans have increased their criticism of Mr. Crist and have pointed out that he had been critical of Mr. Obama and once described himself as a Republican in the mold of former President Ronald Reagan and Mr. Crist’s predecessor as governor, Jeb Bush,” The New York Times reported.
Four years later, he ran for a House seat and won it, thus officially becoming a Democrat politician:
Charlie Crist, the former Florida Republican and governor, joins the 115th Congress as a House Democrat pic.twitter.com/tOOqLWI4Zw
— Robert Costa (@costareports) January 3, 2017
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V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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