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Tapper Fans on DeSantis Interview [1]

['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']

Date: 2023-07-19  

Is anybody surprised that more news didn’t come out of Ron DeSantis’ first interview with a major media outlet other than Fox since declaring his candidacy for President? As soon as I heard Jake Tapper was conducting the interview, my expectations were lowered significantly.

Aside from a minor gaffe by DeSantis when he acknowledged that many people cannot define “woke,” little news was made as Tapper allowed DeSantis to skate through the interview with few obvious follow-ups and failing to even bring up issues that would put the governor back on his heels.

When asked about the current criminal charges pending against Trump, DeSantis predictably fell back on the claim that the FBI and DOJ have been “weaponized” for political purposes by Democrats. Singling out the Mueller Russia investigation as an example of supposed weaponizing, Tapper failed to challenge him. Instead of reminding him that the Mueller investigation resulted in 34 guilty pleas and convictions, including five felony cases against high ranking political operatives in the Trump campaign, Tapper let it go. He could have reminded DeSantis that Trump campaign officials met with Russian intelligence agents pushing political dirt on Hillary Clinton, that the head of Trump’s campaign, Paul Manafort, provided internal polling data to a Russian operative, and that it was later established that the Russians were involved up to their eyeballs in illegal efforts to sway the election to Trump. Didn’t any of that deserve to be investigated?

And what about the38 count indictment of Trump for his obstruction and illegal handling of classified documents that didn’t belong to him? Is DeSantis saying all that activity should be ignored and the prosecution is all political?

In a brief foray into foreign policy, DeSantis didn’t answer when Tapper asked if he would seek further concessions from Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia, stating vaguely that he would follow a policy that “does not reward aggression” but would seek a “sustainable peace.” Tapper declined to ask follow-up questions that would force DeSantis to go beyond his well-rehearsed and almost meaningless statements. Does he support the current level of support the Biden administration is providing and does he commit to continuing this level of support until the Russians leave Ukraine? Is Putin a war criminal? If Putin is allowed to retain any part of Ukraine, would not that reward aggression?

Since DeSantis signed into law a ban on abortions beyond six weeks of pregnancy, Tapper appropriately asked if he would support a nationwide law to this effect, but the governor refused to answer this question as well. Tapper could have pressed him on this, asking if it is good enough for Florida, why isn’t it good enough for the whole country?

Tapper did not even bring up potential scandals that DeSantis has brought about in trying to ingratiate himself to the hard right, such as his outrageous use of taxpayer funds to remove immigrants from the state of Texas and transport them to Martha’s Vineyard and California at a cost of over 2 million dollars. The legal fees, also paid for by Florida taxpayers, are escalating daily, all because DeSantis chose to cruelly play politics with people’s lives.

Then there is the unbelievably arrogant fight DeSantis picked with Disney simply because Disney had the temerity to exercise free speech in a way he didn’t approve of. Other politically motivated actions, such as banning books in schools and trying to limit free speech by university professors have drawn lawsuits that are paid for by Florida taxpayers. How, Tapper might have inquired, does DeSantis square any this with long time conservative principals of fighting wasteful spending and protecting free speech? The list of unanswered questions goes on and on.

I guess we’ll have to wait for his next interview and hope somebody a little more inquisitive than Jake Tapper is asking the questions.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/19/2182219/-Tapper-Fans-on-DeSantis-Interview

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