DeSantis launches barbs at Trump over Disney as he begins presidential election tour

Ron DeSantis has stepped up his attacks on Donald Trump, accusing the former president of siding with the Disney corporation in its battle with the Florida governor.

Mr DeSantis has made his first election trip to Iowa this week, a pivotal state in the race for the party’s nomination.

Trailing behind Mr Trump in the latest polls, Mr DeSantis came out swinging at a news conference on Monday after months of being treated as a “punchbag” by the former president.

The powerful Disney corporation has been at the centre of the “war on woke” declared by Mr DeSantis ever since he announced plans to strip the entertainment giant of its ability to self govern the land status of Disney World.

Mr DeSantis told a press conference on Monday that Mr Trump had “taken the side of Disney in our fight down here in Florida”.

By contrast, he added: I’m standing for parents. I’m standing for children.

“And I think a multibillion-dollar company that sexualises children is not consistent with the values of Florida or the values of a place like Iowa.”

Questioned Trump defeating Biden

The row with Disney began in 2022 after Bob Chapek, its former CEO, buckled to pressure from employees and fans to disavow Mr DeSantis’s Parental Rights in Education bill.

The governor of Florida signed the bill to prevent public school teachers in Florida from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity with pupils.

During the trail in Iowa, Mr DeSantis also questioned Mr Trump’s ability to defeat Joe Biden in the 2024 election.

“There are a lot of voters that just aren’t going to ever vote for him,” he said.

Mr DeSantis appears to be taking a position to the Right of Mr Trump, questioning his commitment to conservatism.

“I do think, unfortunately, he’s decided to move Left on some of these issues,” he said on Tuesday.

He has criticised Mr Trump’s spending record while president, accusing him of increasing the national debt.

Undeterred, Mr Trump has fought back with a barrage of attacks on Mr DeSantis on his Truth Social media channel.

“Have you heard that ‘Rob’ DeSanctimonious wants to change his name, again. He is demanding that people call him DeeeSantis, rather than DaSantis,” he wrote.

“Actually, I like ‘Da’ better, a nicer flow, so I am happy he is changing it. He gets very upset when people, including reporters, don’t pronounce it correctly.

“Therefore, he shouldn’t mind, DeSanctimonious?”