Florida Governor Ron DeSantis would "destroy our democracy" if he is elected president, according to a leading expert on fascism.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a professor of history and Italian studies at New York University who has written several books on propaganda, authoritarianism, and dictators such as Benito Mussolini, made the claim while tweeting out a video of former Florida governor and 2016 presidential hopeful Jeb Bush endorsing DeSantis.
While not confirming his bid for the White House in 2024, DeSantis has long been thought to be the main challenger to Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination.
In an interview with Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, Bush described DeSantis as a "serious contender" in Republican politics who has "shown that Florida can be a model for the future of our country."
While sharing the clip, Ben-Ghiat tweeted: "Ron DeSantis will destroy our democracy with deadly precision. I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous he is."
DeSantis' stock has been rising in the GOP over the years and is currently seen as the ideal firebrand replacement for Trump going forward.
He has gained support and scrutiny for his hardline policies in Florida as governor, including pushing a number of educational legislation—such as the controversial "don't say gay" bill and subsequent feud with Disney—and his ongoing crusade against "woke" in the Sunshine State.
Ron DeSantis will destroy our democracy with deadly precision. I cannot emphasize enough how dangerous he is. https://t.co/EueotiR4aL
— Ruth Ben-Ghiat (@ruthbenghiat) February 26, 2023
Recently, as the GOP attempts to demonize LGBTQ-friendly drag acts, DeSantis moved to strip the liquor license from the non-profit Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation because it hosted a drag show that children attended.
Florida Democratic Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost accused DeSantis of acting like a fascist leader while sharing headlines of the governor's hardline actions, including planning to overhaul the board of trustees at the historically liberal New College of Florida with six new handpicked conservative members.
"If you disagree with Gov. Ron DeSantis he'll abuse his power to close down your business, take over your school, remove your classes, and unconstitutionally fire you," Frost tweeted on February 15. "I encourage folks to look up the definition of Fascism then read these headlines. #FascismInFlorida."
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines fascism as "a political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition."
In January, DeSantis' press secretary Bryan Griffin accused CNN of engaging in "media malpractice" after one of its journalists asked the governor's office for comment about the decision to reject a high school Advanced Placement course on African American history in Florida, saying that some scholars called the move similar to "decisions made by fascist dictators" in the past.
In reply, Griffin wrote: "There will always be extreme critics, but it is the media's choice whether to give them a platform and legitimize their extremism. If you choose to print such critique and amplify it as a perspective by which we are guilty until proven innocent, it will speak more to the moral bankruptcy and untruthfulness of your outlet than anything else."
While not directly describing DeSantis as a fascist, Ben-Ghait has made parallels between fascism and Trump.
In an October 2020 interview with Vox, Ben-Ghiat said that while Trump certainly uses "fascist tactics" such as holding rallies and spreading propaganda, his actions could be better described as "authoritarian."
"I also favor authoritarian over fascist as a description for Trump because the former captures how autocratic power works today," Ben-Ghait said. "In the 21st century, fascist takeovers have been replaced by rulers who come to power through elections and then, over time, extinguish freedom."
Days after the Capitol riot in January 2021, Ben-Ghait compared GOP figures distancing themselves from Trump to when Italian fascists voted Mussolini out of power in 1943.
"Some turned on him not to restore democracy but *to save Fascism,* by getting rid of an incompetent leader," she tweeted.
Newsweek contacted Ben-Ghiat and DeSantis for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
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