Ahead of the Memorial Day weekend on Saturday, the far-left race-baiting fear-mongers at the NAACP issued a so-called “travel advisory” for the State of Florida and falsely claimed the state was “openly hostile toward African Americans.” Seemingly afraid of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s capabilities in the GOP presidential primaries, the flagship newscasts of ABC and NBC took the fake and politically driven “travel advisory” and broadcasted it into American homes Sunday night and Monday morning.
During Sunday’s World News Tonight, ABC fill-in anchor Lindsey Davis direly announced: “The NAACP is issuing a formal travel advisory for Florida, saying the state has become hostile to black Americans under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.”
“Other civil rights groups have issued similar warnings in recent weeks,” she added, to add credence to the factitious advisory. She said this with the on-screen headline reading "NAACP Issues Flroida Travel WARNING" (pictured above)
Without any mention of the NAACP’s political affiliations and historic use of fear tactics to drum up support, correspondent Jay O’Brien boosted their accusations that Florida was not a safe place to visit or live if you’re a minority:
Tonight, after accusing Governor Ron DeSantis of a, quote, "All-out attack" on black Americans, the NAACP issuing a travel advisory for Florida. Joining other civil rights groups that have warned against traveling to the top tourist destination. The NAACP now accusing the State of Florida of being “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals.”
O’Brien chided DeSantis for not taking it seriously.
The following morning, NBC’s Today also aided in spreading the lies of the NAACP during a segment on the expanding GOP primary field.
Senior national correspondent Tom Llamas (formerly with ABC) reported that DeSantis was expected to officially throw his hat into the ring later in the week but the advisory was now issue for him. “It comes as DeSantis faces multiple battles back in his home state including that ongoing feud with Disney, and now the NAACP issuing a formal travel advisory saying Florida is ‘hostile to black Americans,’” he claimed.
Adding: “The group responding to what it calls DeSantis's ‘aggressive attempts to erase black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida's schools.’ Earlier this year, DeSantis blocked an advanced placement court in African American studies from being offered at Florida high schools.”
Llamas failed to mention that the course was resubmitted and approved after Critical Race Theory propaganda was removed from the curriculum.
But the facts didn’t stop him from treating the “travel advisory” as something serious. “So, we reached out to Governor DeSantis and the office on the NAACP travel advisory. We have yet to hear back,” Llamas admitted to wasting their time.
This false portrayal of DeSantis as a racist was juxtaposed with the newly announced presidential bid of South Carolina Republican Senator Tim Scott. “Scott has been the leading voice on issues including policing and race relations while rejecting the idea that the country is racist,” Llamas told viewers.
Their boosting of the NAACP’s fake and politically driven “travel advisory” was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Fisher Investments on ABC and Purina on NBC. Their contact information is linked.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
May 21, 2023
9:42:37 p.m. EasternLINDSEY DAVIS: The NAACP is issuing a formal travel advisory for Florida, saying the state has become hostile to black Americans under Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. Other civil rights groups have issued similar warnings in recent weeks. This as DeSantis is on the verge of entering the race for the White House. Here’s ABC’s Jay O’Brien.
[Cuts to video]
JAY O’BRIEN: Tonight, after accusing Governor Ron DeSantis of a, quote, "All-out attack" on black Americans, the NAACP issuing a travel advisory for Florida. Joining other civil rights groups that have warned against traveling to the top tourist destination. The NAACP now accusing the State of Florida of being “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals.”
Governor DeSantis, asked about the travel advisory when it was proposed in March, calling it a joke.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): I'm not wasting my time on your stunts. Okay? I’m going to make sure we’re getting things done here.
(…)
NBC’s Today
May 22, 2023
7:09:41 a.m. EasternHODA KOTB: Let’s turn now to the 2024 Presidential race. The Republican field growing larger with South Carolina Senator Tim Scott. He formally announced his White House bid today. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expected to follow suit later this week. Both men facing an uphill battle against GOP frontrunner Donald Trump.
NBC’s senior national correspondent Tom Llamas is covering Senator Scott's announcement and he joins us now from Charleston. Hey, Tom.
TOM LLAMAS: Hey, Hoda, good morning to you. Get ready for what may be the biggest week so far in this race. Two formidable candidates set to enter the Republican primary, the first hoping his compelling life story and optimistic message sways GOP voters. The other coming for former President Trump and his base.
[Cuts to video]
This morning, there's new competition headed Donald Trump's way in the race for the GOP nomination. The newest presidential candidate, the senate’s only black Republican, South Carolina's Tim Scott, kicking off his 2024 White House bid in his hometown of North Charleston today.
SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): Kids are growing up immersed in a culture where everyone is a victim.
LLAMAS: The 57-year-old Senator is expected to focus on his deep Christian faith and his hardscrabble upbringing in South Carolina.
SCOTT: I thank God all mighty that my grandfather forced out of school as a third grader to start pick cotton to help his family lived long enough to watch his grandson pick out a seat in Congress.
LLAMAS: Scott has been the leading voice on issues including policing and race relations, while rejecting the idea that the country is racist. And he's reached across the aisle with friends including Democratic Senator Corey Booker.
SEN. COREY BOOKER (D-NJ): I think that, as I look at this Republican field, he may be one of those people that is underestimated.
LLAMAS: With former President Donald Trump leading the GOP race, Scott joins an increasingly crowded lane of anti-Trump candidates including his fellow South Carolinian, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and former Vice President Mike Pence expected to announce shortly along with the possibility of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also entering the race. And according to two sources, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis set to officially announce his campaign this week as he sharpens his attacks on Trump blaming him for lackluster midterms.
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): I think the party has developed a culture of losing.
LLAMAS: It comes as DeSantis faces multiple battles back in his home state including that ongoing feud with Disney, and now the NAACP issuing a formal travel advisory saying Florida is “hostile to black Americans.” The group responding to what it calls DeSantis's “aggressive attempts to erase black history and to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in Florida's schools.” Earlier this year, DeSantis blocked an advanced placement court in African American studies from being offered at Florida high schools.
[Cuts back to live]
Okay. So, we reached out to Governor DeSantis and the office on the NAACP travel advisory. We have yet to hear back. Savannah?
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: All right. Well, former President Trump, of course, is leading the field, most polls show that. How much of a gap do the other candidates need to have a chance and are they just going to split the non-Trump vote? That's how it played out in 2016 and he was victorious.
LLAMAS: Yeah. The more people that announce no doubt help former President Trump. If you look at the most recent polls they tell the same story. This is really a two-person race. But one of the most recent polls shows just how far ahead former President Trump is. You can see he's ahead of Governor DeSantis by more than 40 points in this poll.
So, how does somebody like Tim Scott who’s in the single digits, break away? He's raised a significant amount of money. They’re going to go up with ads in Iowa and New Hampshire. The Iowa caucuses recently have favored the Christian-centric candidate on the GOP side when there’s an open primary like this. So, that favors Scott. But then the race moves to South Carolina. The only problem is former Governor Nikki Haley is also in the race as well. So, it will be a challenge.
