DeSantis: Controversial remark not about race

Expert says comment will remain an issue throughout campaign.

Florida Republican gubernatorial nominee Ron DeSantis on Wednesday night told Fox News that his warning to voters not to “monkey this up” by electing his black Democratic rival, Andrew Gillum, had “zero to do with race.”

The uproar over the remark continued Thursday and one longtime analyst of Florida political campaigns said she expects it could cloud the contest through Election Day on Nov. 6.

DeSantis’ original remark Wednesday morning during an interview on the Fox News channel was blasted as racist by Democratic critics and called an example of

“gutter” politics by Gillum. The Democratic nominee, who also appeared on network news programs, said DeSantis was “taking a page directly from the campaign manual of Donald Trump.”

After responding with only a statement from a campaign spokesman during the day, DeSantis appeared Wednesday evening with Sean Hann- ity — who campaigned with DeSantis in July — to explain himself.

“Did you in any way, do you in any way think that was something that was mis-

stated or racist in any way?” Hannity asked.

“It has zero to do with race, Sean. It has everything to do with whether we want Florida to continue to go in a good direction, building off the success or do we want to turn to left-wing, social- ist policies, which will abso- lutely devastate our state?” DeSantis replied.

“And here’s the thing, I believe people should be judged based on their abil- ity and character regardless of race. But it’s because of that that I know that social- ism won’t work in Florida. It’s not good for any race, color or creed. So this is not about race. This is about ideas and principles. And I’m not going to let the Democrats and Andrew Gillum try to obscure a debate about whether his tax increases, his single-payer health care plan, his desire to abolish ICE — whether that is something that is acceptable for Florida. I don’t think it is and I don’t care what color you are.”

DeSantis, who frequently appeared on Fox News programs during his tenure in Congress, didn’t express any regrets or say whether he recognized that the remark could be considered offen- sive, and Hannity didn’t press him on it.

“He’s following the Trump model to the Nth degree — never apologize for anything,” said University of South Florida political scientist Susan MacManus.

MacManus predicted DeSantis’ remark will remain an issue throughout the campaign. “It will be a get-out- the-vote tool for Democrats from now until Nov. 6,” MacManus said.

The appearance with Hann- ity on Fox News came after the network had earlier sought to distance itself from the remark.

Fox News host Sandra Smith said Wednesday after- noon that the network does “not condone this language and wanted to make our view- ers aware that he has since clarified his statement.”

Conservative media star Hannity openly endorsed DeSantis this summer and used part of his summer vaca- tion to try to tip the scales in Florida’s GOP primary for governor.

During a campaign stop with DeSantis in Fort Myers earlier this summer, Hannity lauded the Republican gubernatorial candidate.

“I want people like Congressman DeSantis; they are the people that have delivered, please help them,” the Fox News host told a crowd of roughly 500 at the Sanibel Harbour Marriott as he kicked off a string of three Florida appearances with DeSantis.