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‘The View’ Tried To Bring On DeSantis For A Guest Appearance. Here’s How His Press Team Responded

(Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Nicole Silverio Media Reporter
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Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office declined an offer for the governor to appear on “The View,” questioning the hosts’ motives for having him on the show.

The program sent the invite Monday reportedly telling the governor’s office they would “be honored” to have DeSantis appear on the show. DeSantis’ deputy press secretary, Bryan Griffin, told “The View” that his office will “pass on the offer” due to the co-hosts’ past remarks about the governor.

“Thanks for the invite. I understand that you are sending this request on behalf of your team,” Griffin wrote in a Tuesday email. “But are the hosts of the View really interested in hearing from Governor DeSantis about all of the important work he is doing on behalf of Floridians to protect their health and livelihoods, to stand up for parents and children, and to defend freedom? Which of the below statements from the hosts of the View do you recommend our team consider when deciding if the interview will be a genuine pursuit of truth? Or worth the time?…We will pass on this offer.”

Griffin quoted co-host Joy Behar calling DeSantis a “negligent, homicidal sociopath” in August 2021, and co-host Sunny Hostin calling the governor a “fascist and a bigot” in June 2022. The email also included a remark from co-host Ana Navarro, who said in April 2022 that DeSantis’ policies are “anti-Black,” “anti-gay” and “anti-American.” (RELATED: ‘The View’ Melts Down Over DeSantis Revoking Disney’s Special Privileges) 

Another statement included Sunny Hostin accusing the governor of targeting marginalized groups such as African Americans and LGBTQ+ people.

“It started with CRT. Let’s remember that — and those are anti-history laws, anti-Black history laws, really,” she said. “If you start coming after Black people, what comes next, right? Of course the LGBTQ+ community, and then women, and then other marginalized groups.”

DeSantis’ press secretary, Christina Pushaw, applauded Griffin’s response in a Tuesday tweet.

“Perfect. There is nothing that infuriates liberals more than seeing their own insane words repeated back to them in black and white,” she said.

In a Friday segment of “The View,” Navarro criticized DeSantis for suing R House, a bar located in Miami, for hosting an alleged sexually-explicit drag event with minors present.

“He is suing them because there was one brunch where there was one child and there’s a video of that and he thinks that’s inappropriate and he thinks that’s worth, instead of passing property insurance in Florida, he thinks it’s worth going after the drag queens,” Navarro said during the episode.

The Florida governor condemned exposing children to drag queens during a press conference July 27.

“Having kids involved in this is wrong. That is not consistent with our law and policy in the state of Florida and it is a disturbing trend in our society to try to sexualize these young people,” DeSantis said. “That is not the way you look out for our children. You protect children. You do not expose them to things that are inappropriate.”

Navarro repeated during Monday’s episode that she “cannot comprehend” that DeSantis is suing the bar over the drag show.

“This is a state [Florida] where we have a housing crisis, this is a state where we have an insurance crisis, this is a state where we have a climate crisis, and instead Ron DeSantis is focusing on drag queens,” Navarro said.