If you’re looking for an alternative to former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) would be just as “terrifying,” according to an article published by Vanity Fair.
An article published by Vanity Fair on Monday aims to be a “comprehensive guide” explaining why a DeSantis presidency would be “terrifying.”
The magazine’s Bess Levin notes the Florida governor has not shared whether he plans to run for president in 2024, but, “That prospect is exciting to a number of people—namely, his record-setting pack of billionaire donors.”
“As it turns out, having the support of, say, Elon Musk does not mean someone should be president. In fact, it’s probably a good indication someone definitely should not be president, and when it comes to DeSantis, that is most certainly the case,” she insisted.
Levin added, “To be clear, this is not an argument in favor of giving Trump…Rather, it’s an argument that DeSantis—who some recent polls show thrashing Trump in a theoretical GOP primary—would be no better and it would be great if people could avoid giving him the top job in Washington, too.”
Ron DeSantis’ bigoted policies and authoritarian behavior make him an equally bad pick for the job.
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) January 3, 2023
Read the latest from @besslevin: https://t.co/gkpTyqAXd8
The article listed 13 reasons why a President DeSantis would be “terrifying.”
The first item alleges he “thinks it’s okay to treat human beings like chattel,” as it notes his decision to fly migrants to other states earlier this year.
“It was absolutely stomach-churning, and it’s presumably the kind of stunt DeSantis would look forward to regularly engaging in on a mass scale as president,” Levin wrote.
The article also insists DeSantis is “dangerously anti-science” as it takes issue with his response to COVID-19.
Additionally, Levin claims the governor is “anti-free speech, particularly the kind of free speech that says the United States hasn’t always been great for non-white people.”
Specifically, she highlighted the Stop WOKE Act. The Washington Post notes, “The Florida law deems it discrimination if a student was exposed to anything that compelled them to believe ‘he or she must feel guilt, anguish, or other forms of psychological distress for actions, in which he or she played no part, committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.’”
She also claimed DeSantis is “waging a war on trans people” because the Florida Board of Medicine and the state Board of Osteopathic Medicine prohibited minors from receiving gender-affirming care — reportedly at his urging.
Additionally, Levin noted Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law — which has been dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay — law, and his decision to sign a bill banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Finally, the article claimed DeSantis is “an awful person and has been for many years.”
Levin highlighted a quote a former college teammate gave to The New Yorker.
“Ron is the most selfish person I have ever interacted with. He has always loved embarrassing and humiliating people. I’m speaking for others—he was the biggest dick we knew,” the teammate said.
The teammate added, “He has always loved embarrassing and humiliating people.”