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Gov. Ron DeSantis’s press team pushed back against the fake news media Wednesday, threatening to withhold interview privileges from NBC News and MSNBC until they correct “false” statements made about DeSantis.
Bryan Griffin, press secretary for DeSantis, shared a portion of a press release Wednesday, challenging the mainstream media’s coverage of the Florida governor.
“I think we need to take a step back,” Griffin wrote. “There will be no consideration of anything related to NBC Universal or its affiliates until and at least Andrea Mitchell corrects the blatant lie she made about the governor.”
According to Fox News, MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell asked Kamala Harris a question last week that claimed DeSantis did not believe slavery should be taught in Florida’s schools. Mitchell asked Harris, “What does Gov. Ron DeSantis not know about Black history and the Black experience when he says that slavery and the aftermath of slavery should not be taught to Florida schoolchildren?”
Following major pushback from DeSantis and his press team, Mitchell gave what Griffin described as a “non-apology.”
“In my interview last Friday with Vice President Harris, I was imprecise in summarizing Gov. DeSantis’ position about teaching slavery in schools,” Mitchell said. “Gov. DeSantis is not opposed to teaching the fact of slavery in schools, but he has opposed the teaching of an African American studies curriculum as well as the use of some authors and source materials that historians and teachers say makes it all but impossible for students to understand the broader historic and political context behind slavery and its aftermath in the years since.”
Griffin described Mitchell’s clarification as a “typical non-apology” that “doubles down” on the “lie” she promoted in her interview with Harris. As a result, Griffin outlined what the “standard response” would be for news organizations seeking interviews with DeSantis in the near future.
“To all of the bookers and producers reaching out to our office from @NBCNews and@MSNBC for @GovRonDeSantis to join your shows, this will be the standard response from our office until @mitchellreports apologizes and your track record improves,” he said.
Jeremy Redfern, deputy press secretary for DeSantis, tweeted a video of Mitchell’s “non-apology,” claiming that she was “imprecise” in her characterization of the governor’s educational philosophy because of her reliance on “unnamed ‘historians and teachers.'”
The ultimatum presented by DeSantis and his press team represents the latest conservative attempt to push back against the fake news media.
Conservative leaders like DeSantis and President Donald Trump have repeatedly called out mainstream media for their bias against conservatives and their mischaracterization of conservative policies.
