(The Center Square) – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized Democrats and the media for comparing President Joe Biden to America’s first president, George Washington.
DeSantis did so as Florida passed a milestone this month – more than one million Republicans are registered to vote in the Sunshine State than Democrats are.
After multiple Democrats called for Biden to step down after a disastrous presidential debate performance on June 27, polls showed he would likely lose to former President Donald Trump. After pressure from Democratic leaders and the media, Biden ended his reelection bid for president on July 21.
Initially posting a statement on X, he later gave a national address on television appearing to compare himself to George Washington. America’s first president “showed us presidents are not kings,” he said. “The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule. The people do.”
He made the claims after issuing multiple executive orders throughout his presidency to implement a range of policy changes bypassing Congress. From halting border security policies, to mandating mask and vaccine requirements for federal workers, to halting federal oil and natural gas leases, to rewriting federal discrimination policy, among many others, federal courts ruled one by one his executive actions were illegal.
Numerous media outlets repeated his Washington comparison, saying, “Joe Biden channels George Washington in final farewell to his campaign;” “This is Joe Biden’s George Washington Moment ;” “Joe Biden joins George Washington as America’s second Cincinnatus,” among others.
In response, DeSantis bashed the media claims, saying , “Media comparing Biden to George Washington is a joke.”
“This notion that the media is trying to peddle that he’s like George Washington refusing power for the good of the country – he had no choice – they were knifing him in the back! The New York Times was going after him. The big donors were going after him. … The Democrats, the corporate media is a huge part of their party,” he told Fox News, referring to the Democratic Party. “When you lose the media, you are really a dead candidate walking. He had no other choice. This is not George Washington."
At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Democrats again repeated the narrative.
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, said Biden's decision to not run for reelection was similar to George Washington “stepping away from the halls of power for the good of the nation.”
They made the claim after Chicago’s Democratic Mayor Brandon Johnson last month proposed removing Washington’s statue from City Hall. Johnson was forced to backtrack after extensive public backlash.
He did so after former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot launched a Chicago Monuments Project, "a racial healing and historical reckoning project,” to assess 5,000 statues and monuments. In 2021, 41 monuments were identified as "problematic," including two of Washington, excluding the one in City Hall. In 2022, dozens of sculptures and plaques were chosen to be modified or taken down , according to the project, including three statues of Christopher Columbus.
In response to Johnson’s proposal, DeSantis said , “Leftism run amok. George Washington is our greatest American. The [American Revolution] would not have been won, the republic would not have been founded, and the Constitution would not have been created without Washington. It was his character – defined by service above self and a willingness to refuse power – that held it all together. We should be building more statues of Washington, not tearing them down.”
In an address at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night, Biden said he wasn’t angry at the people who encouraged him to step down. He also defended his record and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, for president.
Under the Biden-Harris administration, the Democratic Party in Florida has struggled and the Republican Party has expanded under DeSantis.
“Six years ago, registered Democrats outnumbered registered Republicans by almost 300,000 – and Florida had never had more registered Republicans than Democrats in its history,” DeSantis said. “Now, Republicans outnumber Democrats by 1 million voters, which is a sea change that few thought possible," and contrary to predictions that Florida would become a blue state.
“Leadership matters. Bold colors, not pale pastels.”
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