DeSantis’ Fight With Disney Echoes ‘Autocratic’ China, Russia Tactics, Say Former Government

Neither Walt Disney Co. (NYSE:DIS) nor presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis have backed down a bit in their ongoing feud over the latter allegedly pursuing a retaliatory stance against the Mouse House.

What Happened: A group of former high-level government officials, including governors and lawmakers, filed a “friend of the court” brief last week in Disney’s federal lawsuit against DeSantis, AP reported, adding that the group comprised mostly Republicans.

Their court filing revealed, by opting to do it, they wish to demonstrate “how the path the Governor has chosen is corrosive to the form of democracy envisioned by the Constitution, and to re-emphasize this Court’s critical constitutional role in curbing the excesses of governance by retaliation.”

The group said DeSantis has followed the autocratic examples of governments in Russia and China. The Florida governor’s takeover of the Disney World governing district was “severely damaging to the political, social, and economic fabric of the State,” they added.

Why It’s Important: The ongoing issue between Disney and DeSantis started when the former opposed the “Don’t say gay” law passed by the state, which forbids discussions regarding sexual orientation in classes from kindergarten till grade 3.

The Florida governor did not take kindly to it and clipped the power Disney had in governing the district where its Orlando theme park is located. The governor appointed his nominees to the governing board of the district.

Disney has since then scaled back its investment in the Sunshine State and also filed a case against the governor’s retaliatory tactics.

Both parties have taken a hit from the unsavory development, with Disney seeing its approval rating fall among people, while DeSantis is trailing way behind the frontrunner Donald Trump in the Republican presidential primary.

In premarket trading on Monday, Disney stock was up 0.52% at $86.75, according to Zenger News Pro data.

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