Trump attacks DeSantis by suggesting Disney could leave Florida because of the governor

Former President Donald Trump weighed in on the Ron DeSantis-Disney feud, not by siding with the company's tolerance policies, but by invoking fear of an economic apocalypse.

"Disney's next move will be the announcement that no more money will be invested in Florida because of the Governor — In fact, they could even announce a slow withdrawal or sale of certain properties, or the whole thing. Watch! That could be a killer," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.

Despite Trump's Florida carnage admonition, the Walt Disney Co. has not signaled any intention to lessen its holdings in Florida, where it not only owns the theme park mecca in Orlando but also properties in Vero Beach and has a fleet of cruise ships.

It's quite the opposite as Disney plans another major expansion and investments in Florida over the next 10 years. And last week, Disney CEO Bob Iger said he'd be willing to sit down with DeSantis to settle the dispute that has raged for about a year. “I do not view this as a going-to-mattresses situation for us,” Iger told Time Magazine last week.

So, what's Trump's political play here? A few things to know.

Read also: Does Trump have a problem in Florida? His campaign claims he's the "alpha." Are they right?

Other coverage: Policy or punishment? Clematis LGBTQ+, arts community protest West Palm permit decline

Prior story: How Walt Disney's brother prevented Disney World from being built in Palm Beach Gardens

Would Disney really leave Florida?

Highly unlikely. The company has been here for just over 50 years, longer than DeSantis has been alive, and its properties are worth many billions of dollars. On top of that, Florida tourism statistics show that a record 137.6 million people visited the state last year, many of which spent plenty at Disney's properties.

In fact, Disney has said it plans $17 billion worth of investments in the next decade and will add another 13,000 jobs to the roughly 75,000 there now.

Trump walks an economic-political path with DeSantis-Disney

The former president isn't backing Disney or its alleged "woke" agenda, as the governor and Florida Republican officials and lawmakers have called it.

Trump, in fact, has co-opted some of the governor's own messaging on "parental rights" in education, which was the foundation of the so-called "Don't say gay" law that largely started the DeSantis-Disney dispute, as well as on his opposition to transgender athletes in sports.

So Trump is targeting a likely GOP rival in next year's presidential race and is zeroing in on what he said is DeSantis' Disney attack and what Trump said is a potential dystopian, financially catastrophic outcome for the state.

"DeSanctus is being absolutely destroyed by Disney," Trump wrote. "His original P.R. plan fizzled, so now he's going back with a new one in order to save face," his post said. It then added: "In the meantime, this is all so unnecessary, a political STUNT!"

Is Disney ready to back down?

Doesn't appear so, either. Iger held out an olive branch, yes. But Disney World has announced it will be the site of the Out & Equal Workplace this year, which claims to be the “largest LGBTQ+ conference in the world” with yearly attendance of about 5,000 people. So you draw your conclusion.

What about DeSantis's latest threats against Disney and why is DeSantis going after Disney?

Disney hasn't responded to the governor's moves, including seeking new legislation to give his appointed board members authority over the Orlando property's development, more scrutiny on inspection of the theme parks attractions and perhaps developing state-owned land close to Disney for a park or even a prison.

Reporting by Zac Anderson of the USA Today Florida Network was used in this story.

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump criticizes DeSantis on Disney with economic disaster in Florida