DeSantis says his team knew better than to bother him about an invite from ‘The View’

Gov. Ron DeSantis let it be known inadvertently that he surrounds himself with very smart people — a trait that could separate him from the competition if the popular Florida governor decides to make a bid for the White House.

While speaking to Fox News on Thursday, DeSantis said he was not aware that his team had declined an invitation for him to appear on ABC’s “The View” until after all was said and done.

It was not just that the invite was turned down but HOW it was rejected that took the internet by storm earlier this week. (More on that later.)

“I didn’t know that that had been declined until I saw it in the news, because I think my staff knows better than to even bring that to me,” DeSantis told Fox News. “I don’t need to be involved with some of the partisan corporate media.”

DeSantis learned the hard way about the corporate media, having been the target of a “60 Minutes” hit job that tried to smear him over how he choose to distribute COVID-19 vaccines early on. He took what proved to be the smart path by prioritizing senior citizens, utilizing the largest and most widely trusted grocery-store chain in the state of Florida as a distribution point. Publix has over 830 stores, with most having fully functional pharmacies where many Floridians were already getting their flu shots. Two key drugstore chains in the state, CVS and Walgreens, had also committed to going to long-term care facilities to administer the vaccine. Yet, “60 Minutes” tried to suggest DeSantis chose Publix in exchange for campaign contributions.

“They’re free to say what they want. It doesn’t bother me,” DeSantis told Fox News, speaking of the harpies on “The View.”

“But I don’t want to give any of that oxygen.”

“So we’re just going to keep our nose to the ground,” he continued. “While they’re doing whatever they’re doing, I was here working on this issue with the Soros prosecutor and also working on many, many other issues where we’re delivering results for the people of Florida.”

On Thursday, the governor suspended a George Soros-backed state attorney after the prosecutor vowed he would not enforce state laws banning gender reassignment surgeries on minors and restrictions on abortions.

DeSantis’ deputy press secretary Bryan Griffin had shared online earlier this week that he received an invitation for his boss to appear on “The View,” asking followers for their thoughts while sharing a clip of the lion’s den that would await the governor.

“I understand that you are sending this request on behalf of your team,” Griffin replied. “But are the hosts of the View really interested in hearing from Governor DeSantis about all of the important work he is doing on behalf of Floridians to protect their health and livelihoods, to stand up for parents and children, and to defend freedom?”

His email response then reached an EPIC level when he added: “Which of the below statements from the hosts of the View do you recommend our team consider when deciding if the interview will be a genuine pursuit of the truth? Or worth the time?”

Griffin then shared comments from cohosts on the show smearing DeSantis, including cohost Sunny Hostin calling him “Death-Santis” and a “fascist” and “bigot.” Cohost Joy Behar was featured also, calling DeSantis a “negligent homicidal sociopath” and claiming he had a “white supremacist base.” As was Ana Navarro, who characterized DeSantis’s policies as being “anti-Black,” “anti-gay,” and “anti-American.”

Tom Tillison

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