Fear and loathing in Tallahassee: Joy Reid’s baseless allegations against Ron DeSantis show just how scared the media are of him

MSNBC host Joy Reid implied an investigation into rep. Matt Gaetz may implicate Florida governor Ron DeSantis, despite there being not a shred of evidence. Imagine the media reaction if Tucker Carlson did the same to a Democrat.

Ron DeSantis is a rather popular figure among conservatives in the United States. His brashness and anti-lockdown stance have resonated with many on the right. On top of this the Florida Governor is a strong advocate of constitutional rights, specifically the rights of, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms. These elements are steadily coming together to make him a strong potential candidate for the Republican nominee in the 2024 presidential election.  

No wonder Democrats fear and loathe him so much, especially those in the media.  

Joy Reid of MSNBC encapsulated this animosity recently. She was discussing the sex trafficking allegations against Florida representative Matt Gaetz on her show, and spitballed the idea that the investigation might find something on Ron DeSantis. “If you’re Ron DeSantis, does it feel like it’s creeping closer to you?” Reid said. “Because these are your friends, these are your allies.” 

Now, if Tucker Carlson had said this about a Democrat, there would be reports all over CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times, The Huffington Post, and swaths of other left-leaning outlets stating that this was akin to violence or simply going with the tired old headline of "Republicans pounce." 

There isn't a shred of evidence that Ron Desantis has done anything even approaching illegal, therefore it's rather pointless to bring it up in the first place. So why do it? My theory is fear. DeSantis is a popular figure on the right, and continues to gain popularity as time goes on. He checks all of the right boxes for Republican candidates, on top of having hints of the Trumpian brashness which saw the last president sail into Pennsylvania Avenue against all odds.  

These factors have led to many people already expecting him to take the debate stage during the Republican primary in three years’ time. Given the unpopularity of lockdowns across the country and his success in controlling Coivd-19 without using them in Florida, I would argue DeSantis is currently the frontrunner for the GOP ticket.

This is why the leftist media are already mobilising. The recent revelations from Project Veritas about CNN’s coverage in the run-up to the last election clearly show these liberal networks have no qualms about kneecapping people they dislike politically. This is a terrifying situation, because it shows plain as day that the media is far more interested in crafting narratives to suit their own ends rather than reporting facts. On top of being frightening, it shows a complete dereliction of duty by entire networks of supposed ‘journalists’ who clearly don't see themselves as journalists at all. They see themselves as the political hitmen of the Democratic Party and are dutifully marching from target to target for what they believe is the ‘greater good.’  

As a comic book writer, I really wish the people in the press would leave the stories for those of us writing funny books. Maybe you could consider sticking to the facts for once, instead of trying to run people down, like a bunch of sleazy smear merchants.

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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.