Editor’s Note: All major 2024 candidates polling above one percent nationally across the spectrum — Republicans, independents, and Democrats — have been invited to participate in similar sit-downs. Our offers remain on the table.
This week, Media Research Center Founder and President L. Brent Bozell spoke with 2024 Republican presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis about a whole host of issues and, naturally, it included exchanges about the repeated, years-long barrages of attacks from the liberal media.
Bozell began by noting the MRC has “monitored how they’ve treated you and how they’ve treated all the Republican candidates” and, while “all the focus is always on — on how awful they are to Donald Trump,” “[t]hey’re just about just as awful with you.”
Bozell cited an August NewsBusters study by our Rich Noyes on 2024 coverage from the network evening newscasts on ABC, CBS, and NBC that “78 percent of the coverage of you has been negative” before asking how that’s “not election interference when the networks are deliberately trying to derail Republicans.”
DeSantis didn’t hesitate in emphasizing that “there’s no question that they have...a partisan agenda...trying to advance a victory for the Democratic Party” that “you guys have pointed this out...for a number of years.”
He added why the liberal media have “been so negative on me is because they do see all the success that we’ve had in Florida” and fear the possibility that, if elected president, his “model from Florida” could be “implemented nationally” and deal a huge blow “to their friends on the political left.”
DeSantis went onto relay something he’s noticed from the campaign trail, which was the fact that he’s been able to see how “the only thing” some voters “knew about me was corporate media,” but, when they actually hear from and meet him, their takeaways have been “so radically different”.
Later in the interview, Bozell asked him “how difficult is it” to face the press on a consistent basis and realize that, “when you are doing a press conference and all the media are there and you know you’re either going to be censored, you’re not going to put the story up, or if they do, they’re going to attack” and “not...give you a fair shot.”
DeSantis argued “this isn’t anything new for me” with the attacks during the pandemic having been “terrible.”
That said, he argued, the good news has been that “more and more people, partially cause of work that — that you’ve done and others on the conservative side to expose this...they don’t instinctively trust any of these media narratives anymore” and “realize that they’re trying to sell them a bill of goods”.
“[W]e’re happy to get out there and mix it up. And I think that’s just what you have to do. You know — you know it’s going to be unfair. But that’s fine. Life’s not fair. Power through it and make sure that you have the better argument,” he added.
Known for his massive beatdowns in exchanges with liberal journalists, DeSantis revealed that, “[w]hen they’re doing fake narratives, it’s actually easy to beat down those narratives.”
DeSantis wrapped by highlighting what he believes separates himself in this race:
I do think it’s important to have a president who can go toe-to-toe with these folks who, when they are doing the fake narratives, is going to be able to fight back, but fight back with facts and precision in a way that will actually get people to — to take your side[.]
Bozell reacted with effusive praise: “Of all the candidates out there and perhaps even all public figures out there today when it comes to dealing with vicious attacks from the media and doing it on the spot, I really don’t think there’s anyone who’s better than you are...It’s extraordinary.”
To see the relevant transcript from the Bozell-DeSantis interview, click “expand.”
MRC interview with Governor Ron DeSantis
November 3, 2023BRENT BOZELL: It’s a great pleasure to be chatting today with Governor Ron DeSantis. We all know who he is. So the need — there doesn’t need to be any introduction. Governor DeSantis has been involved in a number of issues dealing with the media and it’s no surprise to me that the media have responded. Governor, I’d like to ask you three questions. One about the news media, one about social media, and the third one about A.I.. The first one dealing with the news media. We — we’ve monitored how they’ve treated you and how they’ve treated all the Republican candidates. All the focus is always on — on how awful they are to Donald Trump. Well, guess what? They’re just about just as awful with you and the public may not realize this. In the analysis that we did, 78 percent of the coverage of you has been negative. And what — what’s amazing about that is that you have got an extraordinary story to tell about Florida. What
do you say, A, about that, but, B, is that not election interference when the networks are deliberately trying to derail Republicans?GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS (R-FL): Well, there’s no question that they have an agenda and you guys have pointed this out, I think very appropriately for a number of years. It’s a partisan agenda. They are trying to advance a victory for the Democratic Party. I think one of the reasons that they’ve been so negative on me is because they do see all the success that we’ve had in Florida. We took a state that had been a 50-50 state, one-point race, and we turned it into an almost 20-point victory with supermajorities in the Florida legislature, and we are beating the left on issue after issue, so they see that model from Florida and I think they really fear if that model were implemented nationally, what it would do to their friends on the political left because that would mean — not only would we be fighting the left, but we’d actually be winning against the left for a change and we’d be able, in the process, to lead this country to — to a great comeback, which is what we sorely need. So, I think it’s par for course. It’s something I expected going into this. But one thing — it’s interesting, being on the trail in some of these places, some of the early states, you talk to voters. When they get to see you, you can tell some who, the only thing they knew about me was corporate media and then, when they see me in the flesh, for real, they’re, like, man, you know, you’re — you’re good. I know why they like you in Florida now. So, they definitely are trying to present a different picture and I’ve had a number of the voters say just — them observing me in person it’s so radically different from how the media tries to present me.
(....)
BOZELL: When you get up in the morning and you have to deal with the press, how difficult is it? That’s my final question to you. Like, how difficult is it when you are doing a press conference and all the media are there and you know you’re either going to be censored, you’re not going to put the story up, or if they do, they’re going to attack you? They’re not going to give you a fair shot. Well, how — how do you do that everyday?
DESANTIS: Well, I think what — what I — what I found out, cause this isn’t anything new for me. I mean, since I’ve been governor, they’ve been going after me. During COVID, it was terrible. That was just it everyday. But I think the issue is is more and more people, partially cause of work that — that you’ve done and others on the conservative side to expose this, you know, they don’t instinctively trust any of these media narratives anymore. So, a lot of people do realize that they’re trying to sell them a bill of goods and, when you go out there and speak forcefully and you speak the truth, well, you know, that’s something that — that penetrates. So, my view is they can come after me, they can do this. If people can just hear it from the horse’s mouth, we’re going to be able to win people over and so, getting out there, getting in those environments, doing the interviews. As much as they can try to shade it, ultimately, people are going to judge you on how they size you up. And so, we — you know, we’re — we’re happy to get out there and mix it up. And I think that’s just what you have to do. You know — you know it’s going to be unfair. But that’s fine. Life’s not fair. Power through it and make sure that you have the better argument. And that’s the thing. When they’re doing fake narratives, it’s actually easy to beat down those narratives and that’s what we’ve done time and time again for the last few years and that’s what we’ll continue to do. But I do think it’s important to have a president who can go toe-to-toe with these folks who, when they are doing the fake narratives, is going to be able to fight back, but fight back with facts and precision in a way that will actually get people to — to take your side with the general public. And that’s what we’ve been able to do in Florida, and that’s what we’ll be able to do nationally as well.
BOZELL: I ask you that question, Governor, be — for — for this reason. On the other side of — of — of the camera, I’m watching and I look at how these interviews take place. And I’ve got to tell you: Of all the candidates out there and perhaps even all public figures out there today when it comes to dealing with vicious attacks from the media and doing it on the spot, I really don’t think there’s anyone who’s better than you are and I’ve watched you do it.
DESANTIS: Well, thank you.
BOZELL: It’s extraordinary.
