Denounce the Nazi demonstrators in Orlando, Gov. Ron DeSantis. It’s that simple.
Say they are abhorrent. Say they are despicable. Say they have no part in this society or this state.
But no. Instead, Florida's governor attacked Democrats during a news conference in Palm Beach County on Monday. Dragged in issues like immigration and inflation and crime. Accused unnamed people — Democrats, of course — of trying to “smear” him. Said he wouldn’t “play their game.”
In other words, politics. Again.
Not leadership. Not uniting against something terrible that is cropping up, one more time, in our midst. Not condemning the actions of those who advocated publicly for the extermination of Jews.
Where was his expression of horror that residents of this state had to see a Nazi flag on an overpass in Orlando? Drowning in a sea of his own grievances and fear-mongering, that’s where.
He talked about Florida’s strong relationship with Israel and how many Orthodox Jews want to live in Florida and touted record funding for Jewish day schools.
And he had a lot of tough words for Democrats, saying they allowed antisemites into Congress and “cavorted” with Louis Farrakhan, head of the Nation of Islam.
But the strongest remarks he had for the demonstrators who shouted antisemitic slurs at a shopping center while waving Nazi flags was to say that state law enforcement would hold them accountable. Oh — and he also called them “jackasses” and malcontents. You tell ‘em, governor.
His remarks came after his press secretary, Christina Pushaw, sent a now-deleted tweet Sunday night questioning whether the Orlando demonstrations were orchestrated by Democratic staffers. Her comment drew widespread condemnation. She followed with a tweet admitting she didn’t know who had staged the protest and said hate speech is wrong.
Talk about a low bar.
On Monday, when DeSantis had his chance to condemn these demonstrators, when he could have simply said Nazis are bad people, when he could have made sure he didn’t give cover to those who hate, well, he didn’t. And all the manufactured anger at Democrats can’t cover up that telling silence.
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