On Thursday (April 27), House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA. ) hit out at Florida Governor Ron DeSantis over his ongoing feud with Disney, suggesting the Governor “sit down and negotiate” with Disney.
Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Thursday, McCarthy suggested that he would give DeSantis “the same advice [he] gave President Biden, “which was to “sit down and negotiate and talk.”
McCarthy added that if there are “differences,” there are always ways to resolve them.
He insisted that Disney was “a big employer” and that DeSantis should “sit down with them,” noting that the “idea of building a prison” where you bring your family is not the “best idea,” explaining that a far better option would be to sit down and work things out.
Earlier this month, following Disney’s outmaneuvering DeSantis by transferring power to the company, DeSantis chose to hit back by threatening the construction of a state prison next to Disney World.
Florida’s governor first reached out to Disney last year after the company opposed the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law, which prevented the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten through third-grade classrooms.
DeSantis has since sought to end Disney’s special autonomous status in the area surrounding its Florida park.
However, on Tuesday (April 25), Disney sued DeSantis and other government officials, alleging a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” over “protected speech” that threatens its business.
While DeSantis dismissed the lawsuit as “political,” other Republicans appear wary of an escalating feud between DeSantis and Disney.
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R) said Thursday it was a “perfectly legitimate thing” for the state to interfere with Disney’s “governmental-type powers” but warned against targeting companies for “political purposes.”
However, McCarthy suggested that he doesn’t think companies should “get into politics.”
