Disney Sues DeSantis, Claiming ‘Targeted Campaign of Government Retaliation’

The Walt Disney Corporation sued Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday, alleging the high-profile Republican orchestrated a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” against the entertainment giant.

Disney’s Allegations: The lawsuit focuses on a DeSantis-appointed board’s decision to nullify the agreement that gave Disney control over Disney World’s special administrative district, calling it “patently retaliatory, patently anti-business, and patently unconstitutional.” Disney also says, “A targeted campaign of government retaliation — orchestrated at every step by Gov. DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech — now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights.” 

DeSantis’ Response: On Thursday, DeSantis said he didn’t think Disney’s case had merit, calling it “political.” A spokesperson for DeSantis told the Disney-owned ABC News (Lean Left bias) the lawsuit was an attempt to “operate outside the bounds of the law.” 

Haley Weighs In: After the news broke, GOP presidential candidate and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley tweeted, “Hey @Disney, my home state will happily accept your 70,000+ jobs if you want to leave Florida,” adding, “SC’s not woke, but we’re not sanctimonious about it either.”

How the Media Covered It: Coverage was common across the spectrum, with some sensational headlines; one from Insider (Lean Left bias) said Disney’s CEO was “going nuclear” on DeSantis. While coverage from the left tended to include the “Don’t Say Gay” nickname for Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law, which Disney criticized, Fox Business (Lean Right bias) labeled the nickname “misleading.”