Unprecedented DeSaster

It's your very DeSantis Sunday Show Rundown!

Things are not looking good for Florida Governor and secret boot lift spokesperson Ron DeSantis. His presidential aspirations have been thwarted by bad decisions and his inability to behave like a human. Last week, due to what we assume is a humiliation fetish, he was defeated in a debate — on Fox News AND with Sean Hannity as the moderator — against California Governor Gavin Newsom. The failure of his performance, in a scenario that was entirely stacked in his favor, is so transparent even Fox News is having a hard time spinning it.

NBC’s “Meet The Press” host Kristen Welker pretty much began her interview by asking several times if he’ll quit after Iowa.

WELKER: […] So, Governor, I have to ask you, are you committed to staying in this race through the Iowa caucuses? […] So just to be clear, you are committed to staying in the race through the caucuses? […] Well, let's talk about the stakes. On caucus night, if you don't come in at least second, would you then drop out of the race? How critical is Iowa?

Interspersed within those questions, DeSantis tried to make the case that he had a chance. But Welker wasn’t really buying that.

DeSANTIS: Well, we're going to win the caucus. We're doing everything that we need to do it. We'll continue to build support.

WELKER: But what if you don't, Governor? What if you don't?

Getting the political equivalent of this is never a good sign

DeSantis tried again to put a good spin on his campaign, but Welker’s next question seemed to sum up the tired frustration of political pundits watching DeSantis keep getting publicly humiliated.

WELKER: Bottom line: Is Iowa do or die for you, Governor?

That’s the type of question you get when reporters are begging you to stop. With Trump’s 100 percent distilled MAGA bigotry ahead of DeSantis’s “New Coke” brand imitation of it in the polls, reporters at this point are just wondering when DeSantis will just quit wasting their time.

Welker, resigned to her fate to treat DeSantis seriously, then proceeded to ask DeSantis about Trump’s plan to use the government to retaliate against enemies and his referring to them as “vermin” — a term that immediately evokes Nazis rhetoric against Jews before WWII.

DeSantis tried to attack Trump while also simultaneously attacking the same enemies Trump attacked and dodging condemning the Nazi rhetoric. It was a complicated dance step.

DeSANTIS: Well, I think even beyond that, the issue is is why are you running? Are you running for your personal issues? Are you running for the American people's issues? And I'm running for the American people's issues. And now, part of that is this government is out of control. We have seen weaponization of agencies, like the DOJ, and the FBI and the IRS. I am going to end that weaponization. […] So, I think if Donald Trump is saying his whole thing is retribution for himself, well, what about all the other people that have had issues with that? […] And the goal is to end weaponization, period, and to have a single standard of justice employed, not to basically do what we don't like is being done now, just in a different direction.

The gall of Ron DeSantis, who’s weaponized the state government to violate free speech by allowing protestors to be run over, banned books, and used the power of the state to punish freaking Mickey Mouse for disagreeing with him, lecturing others about “government being out of control.” DeSantis has all but used every tool of Florida’s state government to make himself a swamp Mussolini.

The only free speech DeSantis cares to protect, by either ignoring or hiring, is that of literal Nazis — which Kristen Welker noticed and pressed him on in this exchange.

WELKER: But let me ask you about my original question, the use of the word “vermin." Are you comfortable with that term?

DeSANTIS: But, Kristen, just to be clear —

WELKER: But are you comfortable with that term, Governor?

DeSANTIS: Let me — let me just say on the DOJ — Well, first of all, I'm responsible for my — what I say. And I say things differently. But on the DOJ and the FBI —

WELKER: But are you comfortable with that term?

DeSANTIS: I mean, we have seen —

WELKER: Just on my question, though, Governor —

DeSANTIS: Excuse me. What I'm not — what I’m not comfortable with is FBI agents going after parents going to school board meetings. I'm not comfortable with DOJ, FBI working with tech companies to censor dissent. […]

DeSantis continued to try to ignore the question and pivot to FBI/DOJ bitching, but Welker kept pressing him, to the point that he seemed to spout what his advisors have been telling him privately.

WELKER: So do you condemn the use of the word “vermin”?

DeSANTIS: Don't shoot yourself in the foot. Be focused. Be disciplined.

It’s a little late for that strategy, Ron Ron.

Welker asked one final time and got an answer.

WELKER: Do you condemn the use of the word “vermin," then?

DeSANTIS: I don't use the term. But what I don't do is play the media's game, where I'm asked to referee other people. He's responsible for his words. He's responsible for his conduct. I'm responsible for mine. […]

Was that so hard?! This answer would have sufficed the first time and would have prevented DeSantis from looking like a coward who can’t condemn literal Nazi rhetoric. (Again.)

Finally, the interview moved on to Trump’s proposal to repeal Obamacare (again) and DeSantis was asked what he would do.

WELKER: Can you tell me specifically what the plan is and what your plan is to ensure the 40 million people who now have health insurance who didn't before Obamacare was passed?

DeSANTIS: Well, we're going to be working on — probably in the spring we'll roll out a big proposal. […]

DeSantis, in his answers, seemed to show the GOP still have no plans even years later and after multiple repeal attempts.

“Don't shoot yourself in the foot. Be focused. Be disciplined”?

It’s too late, Ron.

Have a week.

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