DeSantis in spotlight as Disney cancels $1 billion Florida project

May 19, 2023

Mahmoud Bennett Reporter/Producer

By Mahmoud Bennett (Reporter/Producer)

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is facing renewed criticism after Disney announced it is scrapping a $1 billion project to build a new campus in central Florida. In its decision, Disney parks chief Josh D’Amaro cited “changing business conditions.”

The move comes just days before DeSantis, who has had a contentious relationship with Disney, is set to officially announce his bid for the White House, according to multiple sources.

Although Disney did not explicitly mention DeSantis in its decision to pull out of the project, many cast blame on the governor who is currently in an ongoing legal battle with the company.

The now abandoned project was expected to bring over 2,000 white-collar jobs to the Sunshine State, according to an estimate from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.

However, it is important to note that Disney is currently in the process of cutting jobs and reducing costs by $5.5 billion as part of its efforts to pay down its debt, as reported by The New York Times.

Despite the recent project cancelation, Disney indicated in a memo it still plans to invest $17 billion and create 13,000 jobs in Florida over the next decade.

Responding to the claims that the governor drove out the project, DeSantis’ spokesman Jeremy Redfern said “nothing ever came of the project, and the state was unsure whether it would come to fruition.”

“Given the company’s financial straits, falling market cap and declining stock price, it is unsurprising that they would restructure their business operations and cancel unsuccessful ventures,” Redfern added.

Critics and potential rivals seized the opportunity to criticize DeSantis over the recent events.

Former President Trump wrote, “Ron DeSantis single-handedly lost the State of Florida nearly $1 billion in investment and over 2,000 jobs—with an average salary of $120,000—because he was too weak to fight for his state.”

DeSantis is Trump’s closest rival in a potential matchup.

According to a Real Clear Politics analysis, DeSantis holds 19.9% support among Republican voters compared to Trump’s commanding lead of 56%.

Tags: 2024 Elections, Disney, Florida, Ron DeSantis

MAHMOUD BENNETT:

DISNEY HAS ANNOUNCED IT’S SCRAPPING A 1 BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT THAT WOULD HAVE BUILT A NEW CAMPUS IN CENTRAL FLORIDA – CITING QUOTE CHANGING BUSINESS CONDITIONS

THIS JUST DAYS BEFORE GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS *WHO HAS BEEN FEUDING WITH DISNEY* IS SET TO OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE A BID FOR THE WHITE HOUSE – ACCORDING TO SEVERAL SOURCES

WHILE DISNEY DID NOT CITE DESANTIS IN ITS DECISION TO PULL OUT – MANY PERCEIVE THIS AS THE MOUSE HOUSE STICKING IT TO THE GOVERNOR

THE SCRAPPED PROJECT WAS ESTIMATED TO BRING OVER 2,000 WHITE-COLLAR JOBS TO THE SUNSHINE STATE

FOR CONTEXT HOWEVER DISNEY *IS* IN THE PROCESS OF CUTTING BOTH JOBS AND 5 AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS IN COSTS AS IT SEEKS TO PAYS DOWN ITS DEBT ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

AND DESPITE SCRAPPING THE PROJECT, DISNEY SAYS THEY STILL HAVE PLANS TO INVEST $17 BILLION AND CREATE 13,000 JOBS IN FLORIDA OVER THE NEXT DECADE

BUT THEIR LATEST DECISION DOES PUT DESANTIS IN THE SPOTLIGHT BECAUSE REMEMBER THEY’RE SUING THE GOVERNOR ALLEGING HIS REPEATED ATTACKS THREATEN ITS BUSINESS AND FUTURE

IN RESPONSE TO THE CLAIMS DESANTIS DROVE OUT THE LATEST PROJECT, A REP FOR THE GOVERNOR SAID QUOTE: NOTHING EVER CAME OF THE PROJECT, AND THE STATE WAS UNSURE WHETHER IT WOULD COME TO FRUITION.. IT’S UNSURPRISING THAT THEY WOULD RESTRUCTURE THEIR BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND CANCEL UNSUCCESSFUL VENTURES.

MEANWHILE CRITICS AND POSSIBLE RIVALS TOOK AIM AT THE NEWS – FORMER PRESIDENT TRUMP WRITING QUOTE:

RON DESANTIS SINGLE-HANDEDLY LOST THE STATE OF FLORIDA NEARLY $1 BILLION IN INVESTMENT AND OVER 2,000 JOBS BECAUSE HE WAS TOO WEAK TO FIGHT FOR HIS STATE

POLLING SHOWS DESANTIS IS TRUMP’S CLOSEST RIVAL AHEAD OF HIS EXPECTED ANNOUNCEMENT NEXT WEEK

REAL CLEAR POLITICS HAS TRUMP AT 56 PERCENT COMPARED TO DESANTIS’ 20 PERCENT SUPPORT AMONG REPUBLICAN VOTERS

THE WIDEST MARGIN YET WITH DONALD TRUMP AT A COMFORTABLE 36 POINT LEAD