News: DeSantis pivots, jabs China, Apple and Disney

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

DeSantis pivots, jabs China, Apple and Disney

Nov 30, 2022

Hello and welcome to Wednesday.

Market forces — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — who still not an official candidate for 2024 — snapped back into action on Tuesday, criticizing China, jabbing at Apple, praising Twitter and reminding everyone that everything is not forgiven with Disney just because the company has a new leader.

What about? — DeSantis has yet to comment on former President Donald Trump's recent dinner at Mar-a-Lago that has attracted widespread media attention and condemnation from a handful of GOP politicians, including former Vice President Mike Pence. And meanwhile there's a federal trial going on this week in Tallahassee where suspended prosecutor Andrew Warren is challenging the governor's decision to remove him from office.

Off-topic at the start — But DeSantis remains adroit at talking about what he wants to talk about and not what the media wants to ask about. He used the backdrop of a northeast Florida press conference about money for a rail spur to lash into China's Covid-19 policies, and fault Apple over its interaction with the Chinese government as well as a looming battle with Twitter that has drawn the ire of Elon Musk.

Familiar territory — DeSantis revisited these topics in the evening with Tucker Carlson during a Fox News appearance (the first since the election?) where Carlson asked about the governor about the ouster of Bob Chapek from Disney. Carlson showed DeSantis footage of new CEO Bob Iger saying he was "sorry to see" that Disney got "dragged" into the battle over the state's contentious Parental Rights in Education law, dubbed "don't say gay" by its critics. Iger added that the state of Florida "has been important" to the company for a long time.

Response — "We didn't drag them in, Tucker," DeSantis said. "They went in on their own, and not only opposed the bill, they threatened to get it repealed. These are parents' rights, important policies in our state that are very popular. And so they brought this on themselves. All we did is stand up for what's right."

Driving it — Even before DeSantis went on Fox News, the governor's comments on Apple and Twitter ricocheted around the conservative media sphere and got a lot of attention — and yes, probably a lot of clicks. While DeSantis often chides the media for its "narrative," he continues to show that he's skilled at shaping the conversation and changing it. And he also remains skilled at campaigning — when he's not really campaigning.

— WHERE'S RON? — Nothing official announced for Gov. DeSantis.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for Playbook? Get in touch: gfineout@politico.com

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DESANTISLAND

PUSHING BACK — Suspended Florida prosecutor takes fight to DeSantis in opening day of federal trial , by POLITICO's Gary Fineout: Andrew Warren contends that Gov. Ron DeSantis' move to suspend him in early August violated his First Amendment rights, and in the trial's opening day he testified for more than three hours, including recounting the day he was suspended. On that day, Warren said he was met at his office by Larry Keefe, the governor's public safety czar, who was accompanied by sheriff's deputies and a demand that he leave immediately. Keefe, who took the stand later in the day, however, provided some of the most illuminating testimony, saying he was the "primary driver" in getting Warren's suspended.

REVERBERATION — DeSantis-backed school boards begin ousting Florida educators , by POLITICO's Andrew Atterbury: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis put his weight behind dozens of conservative school board candidates across Florida during the midterms. Now they're in office — and are purging some educational leaders who enforced Covid-19 mandates. New board members in two GOP-leaning counties essentially sacked their school superintendents over the span of one week.

SOUNDING OFF — " DeSantis criticizes Chinese government for stifling dissent, calls on Congress to punish Apple if company takes action he doesn't like ," by South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Anthony Man: "Gov. Ron DeSantis joined the ranks of many American leaders on Tuesday, voicing support for Chinese citizens who have taken to the streets challenging their repressive, communist government. Moments later, he recommended an exercise of U.S. government power against an American company, saying the U.S. government should consider punishing technology giant Apple if it removes the social media platform Twitter from its App Store."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the annual leadership meeting of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher) | AP

TRUMPLANDIA AND THE SWAMP

'IT'S BEEN A DISASTER' — Donald Trump's turbulence-filled launch , by POLITICO's Meredith McGraw and Zach Montellaro: Donald Trump's team is starting to institute a new system to better determine who gets access to the former president and who is allowed on his Palm Beach property, following the dinner he held with prominent white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes. The scramble to put in place better filters, described by three people familiar with it, is the latest fallout from a meal that has roiled Trump's nascent presidential campaign and raised questions about the operation around him. In the two weeks since Trump announced his third presidential candidacy, he has been weighed down by a series of self-inflicted wounds.

BEHIND THE CURTAIN — " The inside story of Trump's explosive dinner with Ye and Nick Fuentes ," by NBC News' Marc Caputo: "[Nick] Fuentes said that he praised Trump as 'my hero' and criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his potential GOP primary challenge to Trump, but he also told him to his face at the dinner that the onetime 2016 insurgent was in danger of becoming a scripted establishment bore who could lose in 2024. Some Republicans, including former Vice President Mike Pence, have condemned the dinner, with Pence calling on Trump to apologize. One longtime Trump adviser, who didn't want to go on the record criticizing his preferred candidate, said it was clear that Fuentes' presence was part of a headline-grabbing setup. 'The master troll got trolled,' the adviser said. 'Kanye punked Trump.'"

KENTUCKY RAIN — McConnell won't say if he'd back Trump in 2024 , by POLITICO's Anthony Adragna and Nancy Vu: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday declined to address whether he would support Donald Trump if the former president wins the Republican nomination in 2024, a notable silence amid his first public comments since Trump dined with white supremacist Nick Fuentes. "Let me just say again: There is simply no room in the Republican Party for antisemitism or white supremacy," McConnell told reporters. "That would apply to all of the leaders in the party who will be seeking offices."

GUILTY — Jury convicts Oath Keepers leader of seditious conspiracy , by POLITICO's Kyle Cheney: A jury on Tuesday convicted Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes of masterminding a plot to violently subvert the transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden, finding that Rhodes entered into a seditious conspiracy against the U.S. government. The jury also convicted Rhodes ally Kelly Meggs, leader of the Florida Oath Keepers, of seditious conspiracy. But the jury acquitted three co-defendants — Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson and Thomas Caldwell — of joining Rhodes in that conspiracy. All five, however, were convicted on additional felony charges, including obstruction of Congress.

DATELINE D.C.

RUBIO, SCOTT VOTE NO — " Same-sex marriage bill passes Senate after bipartisan breakthrough ," by The New York Times' Annie Karni: "The Senate passed landmark legislation on Tuesday to mandate federal recognition for same-sex marriages, as a lame-duck Congress mustered a notable moment of bipartisanship before Democrats were to lose their unified control of Capitol Hill. The 61-to-36 vote put the bill on track to become law in the final weeks before Republicans assume the majority in the House of Representatives at the start of the new Congress in January. It marked one of the final major legislative achievements for Democrats before Republicans shift the focus in the House to conducting investigations of President Biden's administration and family members."

Response — Both of Florida's Republican senators — Marco Rubio and Rick Scott — voted against the legislation. The two contended that the final bill does not adequately protect "religious liberties" of those who are opposed to same-sex marriage. Rubio tried to amend the legislation, but was defeated. In a statement, he contended that schools or orphanages run by religious groups could be subject to litigation as a result of the bill.

Context — Scott had issued a statement earlier this month where he criticized the proposed legislation but said that "I proudly support the gay community in Florida and across the nation and will aggressively fight any attempt to take away the ability for same-sex couples to marry and live their dreams in our great country." That's a turnabout from when Scott was governor. During his time in office, the state of Florida fought against a lawsuit seeking to strike down Florida's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.

DOUBLING DOWN — " Rick Scott defends releasing 'Rescue America' plan ahead of midterms: 'I don't regret it one bit ,'" by Fox News' Chris Pandolfo: "Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott accused both Democrats and some Republicans of lying about his plan for a GOP agenda in a blistering op-ed defending his failed bid to challenge Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for leadership.Writing in the Washington Examiner on Tuesday, Scott pushed back on critics of his 11-point 'Rescue America' plan, which he put forward last year to outline a Republican agenda ahead of the midterm elections. … 'The attacks against me and my plan are a predictable reaction in broken, corrupt Washington, but it's nothing but total fiction,' Scott wrote."

— " This Republican senator is trying to avoid blame for the 2022 election ," by CNN's Chris Cillizza

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., joined at right by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks to reporters following a closed-door policy meeting, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

FALLOUT — " After FTX collapse, Polk US Rep. Soto draws scrutiny for letter questioning SEC inquiries ," by The Ledger's Gary White: "The collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX has attracted new attention to a letter sent to a federal agency in March and signed by Rep. Darren Soto, D-Kissimmee. The letter questioned the agency's use of its enforcement powers to seek information from cryptocurrency and blockchain companies. Soto joined a bipartisan group of eight U.S. House members in signing the letter addressed to the chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission. A recent report from Reuters, citing an internal FTX document, said the SEC had made informal inquiries earlier this year into how that and other cryptocurrency firms handled customer deposits."

— " U.S. Sens. Rick Scott, Marco Rubio won't support congressional action to stop potential rail strike ," by Florida Phoenix's Mitch Perry

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... DATELINE TALLAHASSEE ...

FOR YOUR RADAR — " Should a Florida corrections officer have been fired over medical marijuana use? " by News Service of Florida's Jim Saunders: "In what could be a first-of-its-kind case in Florida, a former state correctional officer is asking an appeals court to overturn his dismissal for using medical marijuana. Samuel Velez Ortiz, who was a sergeant for the Florida Department of Corrections, was approved by a doctor to use medical marijuana to treat post-traumatic stress disorder related to previous military service, according to documents filed in the case. He tested positive for marijuana last year during a random test, ultimately leading to his firing under a Department of Corrections 'zero tolerance' policy."

MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

GROWING — " DeSantis' chief of staff, public safety czar now named in suit over migrant planes ," by Miami Herald's Bianca Padró Ocasio: "Two members of Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration are among new defendants named in a class action lawsuit filed against the governor over the plan to fly 49 migrants from Texas to Martha's Vineyard earlier this year. In an amended complaint filed Tuesday morning, attorneys with the Lawyers for Civil Rights accused DeSantis' Chief of Staff James Uthmeier and the governor's 'public safety czar' Larry Keefe of working together with others to 'deceive' migrants who were flown to Martha's Vineyard.

"DeSantis, Florida Transportation Secretary James Perdue and the Florida Department of Transportation are also being sued. Others now named in the lawsuit include Perla Huerta, who is identified in the lawsuit as the 'lead recruiter' of the 49 migrants who were flown to Massachusetts, and James Montgomerie, the president of Vertol Systems Company, the company contracted by Florida to relocate the migrants."

PENINSULA AND BEYOND

TO COURT — " Bribery trial tests US case against Venezuela kleptocrats ," by Associated Press' Joshua Goodman: "For years, as the U.S. has ramped up pressure on Venezuela's socialist government, dozens of allegedly corrupt insiders have raced through the U.S. criminal justice system, cutting plea bargains to avoid lengthy prison sentences and sparing prosecutors the work of having to prove their cases in court. But not Claudia Díaz. A former Venezuelan treasurer and nurse to late President Hugo Chavez, she is the first former high-ranking official to contest criminal charges in the U.S. Her jury trial, which kicked off this week in south Florida, is a critical test of federal prosecutors' ability to hold accountable so-called Venezuelan kleptocrats for fleecing the oil rich nation."

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO? — " Genting selling 15.5 acres of Miami waterfront once planned for a casino resort ," by Miami Herald's Douglas Hanks: "Genting, the Malaysian casino company that once planned to turn the former Miami Herald property into a gambling resort in the heart of Miami, is selling its prized 15.5-acre parcel. The expected price tag tops $1 billion for the largely vacant swath of downtown land on Biscayne Bay, where residential and commercial high-rises could top 60 stories."

— " FDLE: Pensacola sex offender unlawfully cast 2020 ballot, filled out 4 voting applications ," by Pensacola News Journal's Benjamin Johnson

— " Victims testify about hail of bullets in Tallahassee mass shooting as suspect's trial starts ," by Tallahassee Democrat's Karl Etters

— " Space X launch aims to send landmark private lander, NASA ice surveyor to the moon ," by Orlando Sentinel's Richard Tribou

— " Lawsuit claims Miami overcharged building permit fees for years, seeks $76 million refund ," by Miami Herald's David Ovalle

ODDS, ENDS AND FLORIDA MEN

— " Jacksonville City Council promises but doesn't deliver on deciding fate of Confederate monuments ," by Florida Times-Union's David Bauerlein: "When a group supporting Confederate monuments flew a banner Sunday over TIAA Bank Field before the Jaguars game, it drove home that a year after City Council pledged to make a decision on the future of a Confederate monument in Springfield Park, none of the long-promised meetings in a "community conversation" has happened. Faced with Mayor Lenny Curry's call for removing Confederate monuments from city parks, Jacksonville City Council President Sam Newby and Vice President Terrance Freeman both voted in January 2022 for a plan to conduct a series of meetings around Jacksonville about whether such monuments should remain on city property."

BIRTHDAYS: State Rep. Bob Rommel … state Rep. Yvonne Hinson … ProPublica's Kathleen McGrory … Mark Kaplan, VP of government and community relations for the University of Florida … Keith Fitzgerald, professor at New College of Florida and former state representative … Florida Politics' Jacob Ogles