Occasionally, the cast of MSNBC will view themselves as qualified to opine on what is and is not conservative and Tuesday’s Chris Jansing Reports was one such occasion. Not only did nominal Republican Tara Setmayer declare Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s fight with Disney to be “petulant” and “not conservative,” but also “un-American.”
Jansing’s original question to Setmayer had nothing to do with Disney, but was more about 2024 horse race analysis and how it relates to the GOP’s relationship with Donald Trump, “if you're a congressional Republican, how worried are you about the fallout from the former president if you show up at a DeSantis event?”
After a long-winded answer about Republicans being scared of Trump, DeSantis being a former “C-lister” and a “wimp,” Setmayer declared, “And his behavior taking on Disney is not only petulant, but should be concerning to people who claim that they're free market conservatives because political retribution against a private company is definitely not conservative and quite frankly un-American.”
Apparently, breaking cronyism is simultaneously anti-free market, un-conservative, and un-American. This is why MSNBC needs actual conservatives and not members of The Lincoln Project. As it was, Jansing took Setmayer’s nonsensical answer and expanded on it, asking Way Too Early host Jonathan Lemire:
But is that what you think, Johnathan, he’s trying to do. He’s trying to show that he’s tough, “look I can stand up to Disney” even though, again, biggest employer in the state. How is it likely to play that, you know, you’re going to go against a company that is so intertwined with your economic interest. What do you make of what we’re seeing from DeSantis both about, he just won’t give up on Disney and now doesn’t seem to want to give up on transgender issues?
After claiming that DeSantis seeks to portray himself as a “fighter,” Lemire curiously claimed that Disney’s expansion plans are a rebuke to DeSantis, “But, it’s a curious strategy. First of all, for all the reasons you just mentioned, Disney's like the largest employer in the state of Florida. There-- Bob Iger, the head of Disney suggesting there be expansions there soon. There’s a lot of people in Florida who draw their paycheck from Mickey Mouse.”
Iger’s plans shows just how crazy liberals encouraging Disney to uproot itself are. Nevertheless, Lemire continued to another bit of anti-DeSantis hysteria, “It’s on the LGBTQ issues with Disney and others, the banning of the books in schools.”
Lemire also condemned DeSantis for signing a six-week abortion ban “in the middle of the night,” which he labeled as “more extreme than most states in the nation.”
Perhaps MSNBC is just upset that DeSantis’s renewed fight with Disney means they’re touchdown dance on the issue was premature.
This segment was sponsored by Etsy.
Here is a transcript for the April 18 show:
MSNBC Chris Jansing Reports
4/18/2023
1:16 PM ET
CHRIS JANSING: So, Tara, Garrett leads me to the obvious question, if you're a congressional Republican, how worried are you about the fallout from the former president if you show up at a DeSantis event?
TARA SETMAYER: Well, if history is any indicator, you should be very worried. We all know that Donald Trump holds grudges and this is part of the reason why many in the Republican Party have not taken it to him straight and been honest about how they feel about him in public. We already know based off the Dominion lawsuit how a lot of folks feel about Trump in private because they're worried about getting primaried.
And so what’s interesting too about who is hosting these events for DeSantis, you don't see too many Florida delegation folks on that list but guess who from -- has five at least endorsements from Florida congressmen: Donald Trump.
So Ron DeSantis was not a popular guy when he was in Congress he was a C-lister and his personality is well known. He's not very warm and fuzzy, so going back up to Washington to try to reassure his colleagues and try to get their support also because of a lot of mega donors now and the murmurings coming out, the reports coming out that their concerned about DeSantis's ability to take on Donald Trump, they think he's a wimp and doesn't have what it takes, so he's trying to go on the circuit here and reassure people that he, in fact, is that guy, but polls don't show that. And his behavior taking on Disney is not only petulant, but should be concerning to people who claim that they're free market conservatives because political retribution against a private company is definitely not conservative and quite frankly un-American.
JANSING: But is that what you think, Johnathan, he’s trying to do. He’s trying to show that he’s tough, “look I can stand up to Disney” even though, again, biggest employer in the state. How is it likely to play that, you know, you’re going to go against a company that is so intertwined with your economic interest. What do you make of what we’re seeing from DeSantis both about, he just won’t give up on Disney and now doesn’t seem to want to give up on transgender issues?
JONATHAN LEMIRE: Yeah, what he's trying to do is embrace the mantle of being a fighter, right? That he's fighting this corporate behemoth and he’s fighting these cultural war issues and that has been something Republicans have like. Frankly, that's a mantle that Donald Trump has worn very effectively in the GOP for years now.
But, it’s a curious strategy. First of all, for all the reasons you just mentioned, Disney's like the largest employer in the state of Florida. There-- Bob Iger, the head of Disney suggesting there be expansions there soon. There’s a lot of people in Florida who draw their paycheck from Mickey Mouse and this seems to be perhaps a risky proposition from DeSantis, but he's all in on these culture wars, but as he's doing so, he seems to be speaking to a smaller and smaller portion of the electorate here.
It’s on the LGBTQ issues with Disney and others, the banning of the books in schools, we know, of course, about, you know, some of his efforts that he's -- sorry, and that he's on the abortion ban, which he signed in the middle of the night, making it down to six weeks, which lower and more extreme than most states in the nation and we’ve heard some Republicans grow concerned he is indeed talking to a small piece that might, maybe help him in the state of Florida, some regions, or perhaps the GOP primary, but certainly not as if you look to win nationally.
And we see in the polls, he's also slipping. Donald Trump's lead has grown in recent weeks, particularly after Trump's indictment and there’s real concern now that DeSantis may not have what it takes to take on Trump and lastly, some in the party really aghast that DeSantis didn't cut short his book tour to come back to Fort Lauderdale, which was under heavy water and flooding in recent days, historic flooding there and DeSantis never paid a visit, seemingly prioritizing his own political gain rather over the livelihoods and well-being of his constituents.
