Gov. Ron DeSantis rips media for targeting Trump amid fire response: ‘Don’t politicize it’
Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., ripped the media on Friday for trying to create “negative narratives” about President-elect Donald Trump and other conservative leaders for their reactions to the Los Angeles wildfires.
DeSantis blasted the media in an interview on “Fox & Friends” for targeting Trump for his response to the fires and allegedly shielding Democratic lawmakers in Los Angeles and California during the disaster.
“I’m fine to say, ‘Just don’t politicize it at all.’ But I think the media – it’s like the pot calling the kettle black when they’re attacking Donald Trump, when they’re the ones that are always the lead in these instances,” DeSantis told host Lawrence Jones.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., grilled the media for politicizing the L.A. wildfires against President-elect Donald Trump. (REUTERS/Cheney Orr)
DeSantis was asked about his viral confrontation with a reporter at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence on Thursday. In that exchange, the governor ripped the press in general for accusing Trump of politicizing the wildfires while not saying anything about the roles of Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., and Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in the crisis.
While speaking on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Trump accused Newsom of not doing a “good job” of fire prevention in the state. In a Truth Social post, the president-elect added, “Fire is spreading rapidly for 3 days – ZERO CONTAINMENT. Nobody has ever seen such failed numbers before! Gross incompetence by Gavin Newscum and Karen Bass…. And Biden’s FEMA has no money – all wasted on the Green New Scam! L.A. is a total wipeout!!!”
At the Mar-a-Lago presser, a reporter asked DeSantis if Trump’s shots at California leaders were appropriate. DeSantis shot back, “Is it appropriate for people in your industry to try to create division and to try to create narratives any time these things happen?”
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Altadena, CA – January 08: A fire fighter works the Eaton fire on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 in Altadena, CA. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
“Now, you’re not as interested in doing that because Newsom is a D. If Newsom was a Republican, you guys would go try … you would have him nailed to the wall for what they’re doing over there,” he added.
The governor told Jones the rationale behind his rebuke of the journalist the previous day, noting his own experience with the press that has grilled him over natural disasters in Florida.
He said, “You know, they were trying to pin this on Donald Trump and they were going after Donald Trump’s comments. And I’m just thinking to myself, I’ve seen how these people in the press react to when these things happen in the state of Florida. All they try to do is to find things that they can create negative narratives about.”
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“I remember when we had Hurricane Ian – Category 5 monster storm – hit southwest Florida. All they were looking for were things to do negative. And the reality was the state was prepared. We had an overwhelming response,” he continued.
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The governor also told Jones about how Florida was supporting Californians suffering from the fires, stating, “Well, we immediately offered assistance. And so, the Florida Division of Emergency Management is in contact with California’s Emergency Management Agency. And as there is requests that come down the pike, we will fulfill those requests.”
