In a recent interview on "Fox & Friends," Florida Governor Ron DeSantis openly criticized the media for what he describes as their biased narrative formation against conservative figures such as President-elect Donald Trump, in the context of the ongoing California wildfires.
According to Fox News, DeSantis expressed concern over the media’s approach to Trump’s comments on the crisis, accusing them of unjustly politicizing the situation while ignoring similar issues with Democratic leaders in California.
During the discussion, Gov. DeSantis referred to an incident where he confronted a reporter at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. He criticized the media's tendency to foster division during emergencies, questioning whether it was appropriate for journalists to create contentious narratives during such critical times.
Amidst the blaze that started on January 8, 2025, in Altadena, California, Donald Trump took to Truth Social to lambaste California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
Trump labeled their response as extremely poor, citing a lack of containment efforts and a failed response from FEMA under President Biden’s administration.
Trump’s post criticized the leaders for allowing the fire to spread unchecked for three days, highlighting what he described as the gross incompetence of state and federal management under Democratic leadership.
Gov. Ron DeSantis also shared insights from his own experiences with natural disasters in Florida. He illustrated how the media often focuses on negative angles, seemingly searching for any negative aspects to emphasize in their coverage.
Highlighting Florida's proactive response, DeSantis stated, "Well, we immediately offered assistance." He detailed how the Florida Division of Emergency Management coordinated with California's Emergency Management Agency to provide necessary aid, ready to fulfill any further requests from California.
Gov. Ron DeSantis commented: "I’m fine to say, ‘Just don’t politicize it at all.’ But I think the media – it’s like the pot calling the kettle black when they’re attacking Donald Trump when they’re the ones that are always the lead in these instances."
DeSantis advocates for a non-partisan approach to disaster response, criticizing the apparent double standards in media coverage that skew against conservative figures. His remarks echo a broader concern among some political leaders regarding the polarization of media reportage in national emergencies.
"You know, they were trying to pin this on Donald Trump and they were going after Donald Trump's comments. And I'm just thinking to myself, I've seen how these people in the press react when these things happen in the state of Florida. All they try to do is to find things that they can create negative narratives about," DeSantis explained deeply troubled by the media's persistent scrutiny of Trump.
"Fire is spreading rapidly for 3 days – ZERO CONTAINMENT. Nobody has ever seen such failed numbers before! Gross incompetence by Gavin Newscum and Karen Bass…. And Biden’s FEMA has no money – all wasted on the Green New Scam! L.A. is a total wipeout!!!" Trump’s severe critique underscored his frustration with the current administrative responses and his disparagement of recent environmental policies under the Biden administration.
In conclusion, while Governor Ron DeSantis underscores the need for non-partisan media coverage during disasters, his defense of Donald Trump's outspoken criticism of California’s leadership during the wildfires highlights ongoing tensions between state leaders and the media.
Both leaders advocate for more focused disaster response efforts and less political bias in the reporting of such events.
