Ron DeSantis took a direct shot at Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) amid a heated debate over the state's recently updated Black History standards.
In his first statement about Donalds, DeSantis grouped the conservative Black Republican Harris with Vice President Kamala Harris.
"Are you going to side with Kamala Harris and liberal media outlets, or are you going to side with the state of Florida?" the Florida governor asked Donalds.
DeSantis is still pushing his culture wars
Harris criticized the state's education board's standards because they require that middle school students be taught that "slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their benefit."
DeSantis' criticism of Donalds over the past few days was consistent with that of his administration, his commissioner for education, and his presidential campaign.
Many of the governor's backers have asserted that the Republican from Naples attacked the standards to support former President Donald Trump.
In a post on social media, Donalds referred to the criteria as "good, robust & accurate."
Donalds did, however, remark that the "attempt to feature the personal benefits of slavery is wrong & needs to be adjusted."
He added that he believes the Florida Department of Education shall correct such wrongs.
Senior Trump adviser Jason Miller also stepped in, denouncing what he called a "smear campaign" by DeSantis backers against Donalds.
An increasingly heated proxy war of words between the Trump and DeSantis forces has reached another boiling point with the exchange over the standards.
Additionally, it prolongs the standards debate, which Florida school authorities accepted.
Initially, DeSantis tried to remove himself from the controversy, claiming that he "wasn't involved in it" during a campaign event in Utah.
However, the governor and his team have responded to the criticism saying Harris and others have lied about the criteria while maintaining that they do not minimize the negative aspects of slavery.
Do you think DeSantis is going too far?
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