DeSantis’ office denies appearances on NBC until ‘blatant lie’ corrected
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office won’t accept invitations to appear on NBC shows, or their affiliates, because of a “blatant lie” surrounding Florida’s policies on teaching American history.
Bryan Griffin, press secretary for DeSantis, publicized his response to NBC Universal’s request for DeSantis to “join [their] shows.”
“To all of the bookers and producers reaching out to our office from @NBCNews and @MSNBC for @GovRonDeSantis to join your shows, this will be the standard response from our office until @mitchellreports apologizes and your track record improves,” Griffin said.
He cited remarks from Andrea Mitchell, NBC News’ chief Washington correspondent, who falsely claimed in an interview with Vice President Kamala Harris that DeSantis said “slavery and the aftermath of slavery should not be taught to Florida schoolchildren.”
“I think we need to take a step back,” Griffin said in an email to NBC. “There will be no consideration of anything related to NBC Universal or its affiliates until and at least Andrea Mitchell corrects the blatant lie she made about the governor.”
Griffin said the governor’s office won’t consider an appearance until “NBC and its affiliates display a consistent track record of truthful reporting.”
“Please feel free to pass this up and around the network,” he concluded.
Mitchell’s comments when interviewing Harris came after DeSantis’ Department of Education rejected the College Board’s AP African American History course.
The rationale cited for rejecting the course included the presence of a “political agenda” and “ideological material.”
Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. has previously noted that Florida law requires teaching historical facts about slavery and the Civil Rights Movement.
After Florida’s rejection of the course, the College Board stripped the concerns the state had out of the course.
The teaching about the origins and impacts of the Black Lives Matter movement will now not be a required part of the course framework that is formally adopted by states that defines the exam. In the original syllabus, Black Lives Matter was a required topic.
The development and ideology of Black conservatism is now listed as an optional topic that can be taught for illustrative purposes. Black conservatism was not listed in the original syllabus.
The newly outlined course will not teach Black Queer Studies, which was originally listed out as a course topic. Reparations is also no longer a required part of the course framework, but is considered an optional topic. Previously, “the case for reparations” was slated to be taught as a requirement.
The Florida Department of Education had originally said the course solely advocated for reparations without providing other perspectives.
