May 7, 2021

Calling the new Florida suppression bill "a solution in search of a problem," Mika Brzezinski talked about Republican-led states chasing Trump's "big lie" that the 2020 election was stolen from him.

"First to Florida where Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law new voting restrictions yesterday. The Associated Press called it a, quote, 'misleading made-for-TV ceremony intended for the Republican party's far right,' she said.

"DeSantis held the signing ceremony live on Fox News and Fox News only, and positioned himself for the cameras so he could make a presentation to the Fox audience. All other news organizations, including local press, were not allowed in. A columnist at the Sun Sentinel tweeted 'News media barred from entry at signing of controversial elections bill. DeSantis spokeswoman says the bill signing is a Fox exclusive.'

"A reporter for the local CBS affiliate tweeted 'The signing of a law that will affect all Floridans and there won't be a camera from a Florida TV station allowed inside. This is not normal.' A spokeswoman for DeSantis said the governor did not sign the actual bill on camera. Oh, this is fantastic. And the event was purely ceremonial. So it was a fake bill? Here is how the governor explained it."

We were happy to give them the exclusive on that and I think it well really, really well, but that's broadcast to millions of people not just in -- and obviously throughout the whole country, but a huge number of people in Florida are watching that. We had a crowd -- we probably had a thousand people in the crowd that were really cheering on.

"Who does he sound like? It's crazy. So he signs a fake version of a bill. The crowd DeSantis just referred to was a group from Donald Trump's fan club. They were already in place at a West Palm beach hotel, and DeSantis addressed the group before the live event on Fox. Fox News released a statement saying the show did not request or mandate that the signing be exclusive.

"But, Willie, the bigger issue here -- the big issue is not the game being played with Fox being used in whatever ways it's being used, but the laws that he's signing. All of this is -- when you look at what's going on in Florida, not necessary in Florida, but to really continue to reinforce and validate Donald Trump and his big lie, the bigger conversation is that Trump has not gone away and he's putting down roots," Brzezinski said.

The Nakedly Ambitious Ron DeSantis™ has learned at the feet of his master. Radical right wing voter suppression legislation? Check. Adoring Trump fans at the fake signing simulation? Check. Aiming his actions to the carefully selected Fox audience? Check. Pursuit of power for its own sake? Check.

DeSantis is a very dangerous man. Don't turn your back on this one.

Can you help us out?

For nearly 20 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.
Mastodon