The emotional mewling and rote reactions to Ron DeSantis in the press are by now more than commonplace – they are expected. But in this automatic desire to denigrate the man, it almost appears that the press now seeks out new ways to blame him for problems as a means of beating others to the reporting. 

One sure way to scoop the competition? Accuse the governor of causing heartache before he even takes action!  

Last Saturday on MSNBC, Katie Phang had two women from Florida on to discuss this state’s abortion law. Both women had problematic pregnancies recently and they incurred life-threatening conditions that doctors were hesitant to treat because of the restrictions. One guest detailed how she had a miscarriage at a hair salon because she was getting her hair done so her mother would not need to after she died.

Two women were denied medical care due to Florida's abortion ban https://t.co/pAYXQclxat

— The Katie Phang Show (@katiephangshow) April 17, 2023

They told Phang that having to live in the state is a “death sentence” because of the abortion restrictions. Not to belittle the trauma these ladies experienced, but there are a few questions to be asked.

For one, the abortion law restrictions – and those with prior laws – have provisions in place when the life of an expecting mother is threatened. Also, how is a doctor not responsible for sending away a patient who is incurring fatal conditions? But all of that aside, there is one other detail that completely throws their testimonials into a dubious realm: Ron DeSantis had only signed the abortion bill into law two days earlier.

We know this because of the news reports that claimed he had “quietly” signed the bill behind closed doors, late at night (hard to see how it was a secret with dozens in attendance, photographers present, and his announcing the signing to his four million followers on Twitter – after promising for months that he would sign such a bill). I’m sorry, but I cannot see how their conditions, which were experienced months ago and from which they have recovered, were influenced in any fashion by the bill signed on April 13.

But this is the incurious way the press levels accusations these days. When you begin your reports with assumed guilt then applying pragmatic analysis is not needed, apparently. The news has just come out that a gay pride parade that was scheduled for Saturday, April 22, has been canceled. This is a direct result of Florida legislation restricting children from attending sexually-explicit drag shows.

Florida gay pride parade canceled after anti-drag show law passes https://t.co/lvAbMzZ6ky pic.twitter.com/xvbgSmq1Il

— WFLA NEWS (@WFLA) April 20, 2023

The Pride Alliance of the Treasure Coast posted Wednesday on Facebook that the decision to change this Saturday’s Pridefest events was made after multiple conversations with Port St. Lucie officials. The city is located about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of West Palm Beach.

The key word is “legislation”. There is one detail that makes the dramatics behind the decision all the more curious. 

Officials in a southeast Florida city have canceled a gay pride parade and restricted other pride events to people 21 years and older in anticipation of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signing a bill meant to keep children out of drag shows.

This has not even been signed into law, let alone enacted and made an enforced ruling, and yet they want to blame the governor for the cancellation of the parade. Apparently ensuring that sexually graphic displays are not conducted in a public setting is not an option. It is much easier to blame this on the governor, who is currently out of state and not yet able to even sign the bill into law.

This type of misdirection was seen during the contested period of the Parental Rights In Education bill debate last year. NBC News came out with a report on how teachers were quitting their jobs in the state over the new law – they found two. One was a 6th-grade teacher largely unaffected by the mandates on younger grades, who faced parental complaints about his gay marriage, but he was not disciplined. The other example was a teacher who chose to quit while the bill was still being crafted.

Nicolette Solomon, 28, taught fourth grade in Miami-Dade County for more than four years. As HB 1557 passed through the Legislature, she quit.

Small matter as well that while this report came out in April, the new law was to apply to the upcoming school year. It turns out details derail the narratives. This is the manner of approach with Governor DeSantis. Opposing the legislation is all that is needed and any tangential connection is rife for criticism. Pesky specifics such as timelines are not a bother for the press.