MSNBC host Joy Reid doubled down on comparing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to former Alabama governor and segregationist George Wallace on her show Monday night.
Reid played a clip of DeSantis discussing his new anti-riot legislation, which makes it harder for cities and counties to cut police budgets, enhances penalties for people who participate in a riot and allows local officials to be sued if they fail to stop unrest. Some have said that the bill is needed after some nationwide protests turned into violent riots following the death of George Floyd, while critics argued that the bill infringes on First Amendment rights to protest.
Reid said that she has compared former President Donald Trump to Wallace in the past, but DeSantis is “actually governing” like Wallace did. (RELATED: Sheriff Warns New Florida Residents Not To ‘Vote The Stupid Way You Did Up North’)
“Now it’s a comparison that I’ve made to Donald Trump in the past,” the MSNBC host said. “But whereas Trump talked a lot like George Wallace, even using violent rhetoric against protesters at his rallies, Desantis is actually governing like the former Alabama governor, especially with his new anti-protest law. And that makes him tonight’s absolute worst.”
Wallace is the former Democratic governor of Alabama who was a leader in the fight against integration in the 1960’s. He is well known for his pledge “to stand in the schoolhouse door” to block black students from enrolling at the University of Alabama.
Reid said that the Florida governor “is taking a page out of the Wallace playbook” by “specifically cracking down on street protests.” She also noted that the legislation has come after the rise of Black Lives Matter protests.
