Broadway ‘Actress’ Accidentally Hands Ron DeSantis a Gift During Tony Awards Broadcast

As the GOP 2024 presidential primary campaign season kicks into extra high gear, many of the candidates are proudly announcing the endorsements they’ve received in an effort to show voters how well they are liked, trusted, etc. by prominent Republican figures to get the job done.

That said, some, like former New Jersey Gov. and failed 2016 presidential candidate Chris Christie, are getting the kind of unintentional “endorsements” of sorts that most self-respecting Republicans don’t want, like the praise Christie received from Washington Post “NeverTrump” columnist Jennifer Rubin, unhinged “The View” co-host Joy Behar, and radical leftist Congressman Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) upon Christie’s official entry into the race.

Others, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, are receiving the type of scorn and mockery from certain high-profile people that effectively equate to a backhanded endorsement that they can use to not only solidify support from their base but also to stir up potential support among fence-sitting voters.

Exhibit A on this occurred Sunday night during the “Tony Awards” broadcast on CBS. Broadway actress Denée Benton was on stage to present Carnegie Mellon University’s Excellence in Theatre Education award, which went to Florida high school drama teacher and theatre director Jason Zembuch Young.

Except during her presentation, Benton decided to draw more attention to herself than Young by taking a shot at DeSantis at the beginning of her remarks, referring to him as the “grand wizard” of Florida and urging him to change the name of the city of “Plantation”:

“Hi, I’m Denée Benton, actor and proud CMU alum. Earlier tonight, CMU and the Tony Awards presented the 2023 Excellence in Theatre Education Award. And while I am certain that the current Grand Wizard, I’m sorry, excuse me, governor of my home state of Florida will be changing [audience gasps, applauds] I am sure that he will be changing the name of this following town immediately, we were honored to present this award to the truly incredible and life-changing Jason Zembuch Young, enhancing the lives at students at South Plantation High School in Plantation, Florida.”

Watch:

On the Tony Awards on CBS, actress Denee Benton announces award for outstanding HS theatre teacher. She wisecracked "I am certain the current Grand Wizard — I'm sorry…governor of my home state of Florida" (wild screams, applause) will rename the town Plantation, Florida. pic.twitter.com/YsceE5B8QR

— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) June 12, 2023

Not surprisingly, the DeSantis Derangement Syndrome contingent was seriously impressed:

Denée Benton took aim at Ron DeSantis' anti-Black legislation during the same ceremony that saw two Black actors become the first non-binary people to win Tony Awards. https://t.co/J0GeYOLbTH

— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) June 12, 2023

“Denée Benton may have just saved America because I don’t know how you shake the nickname, The Grand Wizard of Florida,” suggested TV producer Jonathan Goldman.

LOL. Does Goldman seriously think mainstream voters who haven’t made up their minds yet will be persuaded to support another candidate based on Benton’s comments? Well, he probably does believe that will happen, but that’s his problem.

Honestly, I can’t think of a better “endorsement” for DeSantis to receive than one from his rabid critics at Woke, Inc., a Democrat/media-led industry he has done an admirable job of turning the tables on and deflating during his time as the Sunshine State’s governor.

The more his critics on the left ramp up the bogus attacks, the more popular DeSantis will become, because most sane voters see this stuff for what it is, and are tired of watching the race card being thrown with wild abandon. It’s similar to what has happened to Donald Trump in the aftermath of his indictments. Instead of hurting him, they appear to be helping him with voters, a development which throws a serious wrench into the Biden DOJ’s attempt at what looks to a lot of people like election interference.

Sorry, not sorry, leftists, but the “standards” you’ve been operating off of for decades when it comes to Republican presidential candidates (“this guy will be the most racist/sexist/bigoted/oppressive president EVER! No, really, he will!”) to try and derail their chances aren’t really working anymore.

Time to come up with a new schtick, Democrats. Or not.