DeSantis Press Secretary Christina Pushaw Exposes Nikki Fried (D) Communications Director

Thursday, Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R) Press Secretary Christina Pushaw called out Nikki Fried and her Communications Director, Franco Ripple, for a glaring double standard.

Pushaw’s tweet compared a Nikki Fried tweet from July 26 that read, “A white male should never tell a female to ‘wait their turn’. We have waited over 100 years. Time for women to lead. #somethingnew,” to a reply to Pushaw from Ripple.

Pushaw was declaring the media that made fun of COVID-19 deaths the “enemy of the people.” In response, Ripple replied, “You can walk that one back any way that you wish. Since you’re new here, a tip: respect the press. It’ll make your job easier. And they’ll respect you back. Respect Florida’s constitutional officers, while you’re at it.” 

Critics of Fried, who plans to challenge DeSantis in 2022 for Florida Governor, point out the double standard: Fried is advocating for women to be leaders and have no “white male” tell them to “wait their turn;” meanwhile, Ripple, a white man, is attacking and condescendingly explaining his opinion to Pushaw, a woman in a government position.

Members of the American right have frequently called out hypocrisy of identity politics-type Democrats who advocate for women to “break the glass ceiling” and for “people of color” to gain governmental power, exposing that the same people simultaneously degrade non-white Republicans and Republican women.