8 Lessons From The DeSantis School Of Dominating The Corrupt Media – The Federalist

The propaganda wing of the Democrat Party known as the corporate press is used to smearing, pressuring, and shaming Republicans into piping down. Sometimes it doesnt work, but well never even know how many times it has.

Got a bill in the works about keeping men out of girls sports? Be a shame if the media slandered you as a transphobe while corporate interests put pressure on your campaign coffers. Think you can trust your own eyes more than Anthony Fauci on Covid? Itd be too bad if you got fact-checked and deplatformed.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis isnt the only Republican whos put up a good defense against media bullies, but he has made a brand out of going on the offensive against them. Here are eight lessons that others in the GOP (and all Americans) can learn from him about schooling the propagandists in the corporate press.

In May 2020, when the Covid-panicked medias predictions about Floridas Covid response were already being proven wrong, DeSantis didnt just call out their lies, he pointed to their motivation for lying.

Our data is available, our data is transparent. So, any insinuation otherwise is just typical, partisan narrative trying to be spun, DeSantis told reporters. Weve succeeded and I think that people just dont want to recognize it because it challenges their narrative, it challenges their assumption. So, theyve got to try and find a boogeyman.

The more partisan the big names in media like The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, MSNBC, and their ilk become, the more inaccurate it is to call them mainstream. Call them the corporate media, the propaganda press, legacy media, or use DeSantis nickname for them: smear merchants.

DeSantis took notes from former President Donald Trumps penchant for cutting through forgettable politician-speak and leaning into one-liners and comebacks. A witty line will help people remember what you said, and thats not limited to media interactions.

Just look at the cheeky memo DeSantis put out Tuesday recognizing Emma Weyant, who placed directly behind male swimmer Lia Thomas, as the rightful winner of the NCAA 500-yard freestyle. Its far more memorable and therefore, effective than a whiny, boring press release. Well-placed snark cuts through the cloud of media lies and signals that you wont play their game.

The corporate media loves it when Republicans go after each other, whether its NeverTrumpers piling on criticism of the former president, neocons smearing conservatives who want to avoid war as Putin-lovers, or National Review going after Sen. Josh Hawley for questioning a Supreme Court nominees soft-on-sex-crimes record. DeSantis showed he can see through that game, and more Republicans should too.

One podcaster asked DeSantis about the medias trying to drive a wedge between you and one of your constituents here in Florida, former President Trump. Is there any sort of animosity? Whats that relationship like?

This is what the media does and you can not fall for the bait. You know what theyre trying to do. So dont take it, the governor responded. Emphasizing the need for GOP unity, he added We need everyone on board.

Last April, CBSs 60 Minutes ginned up a fake scandal about DeSantis, smearing him for using the ubiquitous Florida grocery store Publix to help distribute Covid vaccines. Instead of being intimidated by the smear, DeSantis hit back. When youre talking about this ridiculous smear narrative, its important to break down just how false, how thoroughly dishonest it is. Because this is bad for our country to have big corporate media smearing for profit just because Im in the other party than them, and using their partisanship to craft narratives, regardless of the facts.

In August, when the Associated Press cooked up a similar conspiracy theory, DeSantis had a similar response. The APs attempt to create a political narrative has backfired, as the conspiracy theory has been easily debunked and the credibility of your organization has been further diminished, he shot back.

If the corrupt press will make up scandals about you, theyre not going to be your BFF. Stop trying to grovel in front of [corporate media outlets], stop thinking that theyre going to like you, DeSantisadvised his fellow Republicans, in an exclusive interview with The Federalist in June. Too many Republicans in D.C. are lovable losers who let the corporate media define the narrative, he added. Its like trying to fight your way out of a wet paper bag. You have to reject these narratives.

The corporate media and House Speaker Nancy Pelosis sham committee love to talk about the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, because its one of the few talking points that doesnt make them look terrible. Republicans shouldnt let themselves be sucked into wasting airtime tongue-wagging about an issue that most normal Americans are ready to stop talking about.

When asked about Jan. 6 on the events one-year anniversary, DeSantis predicted the commemorations from Democrats and their media allies were going to end up being a politicized Charlie Foxtrot today.

There is an obsession with this amongst the D.C., New York journalist class and again I think its because it allows them to spin a narrative that they want to spin, he added, and took the opportunity to pivot to issues more relevant to voters. People here in Florida, they care about inflation and they care about gas prices and education and crime.

From fawning over disgraced New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to saying Joe Biden would be an adult in the room about foreign policy to insisting Hunter Bidens laptop was a Russian plant, the corporate press has been pants-on-fire wrong time and time again. Theyve lost all credibility and Republicans should stop lending it to them.

The message is for people out there is unless youre a partisan leftist, do not trust corporate media, DeSantis said in June. Cant trust them, theyre not trustworthy. They will lie.

Elle Reynolds is an assistant editor at The Federalist, and received her B.A. in government from Patrick Henry College with a minor in journalism. You can follow her work on Twitter at @_etreynolds.

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8 Lessons From The DeSantis School Of Dominating The Corrupt Media - The Federalist