The political playing field of the 2024 Presidential Election is starting to take shape, and the contentious reporter–politician dynamic is becoming a central theme.
Yesterday, reporter Tara Palmeri of Puck News (formerly of Politico) released a hit piece on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, alleging that he “ran from her hard–hitting questions” and was “not ready for prime–time.”
But the DeSantis camp is pushing back against the characterization, releasing a video that shows exactly what happened (or, as Team DeSantis put it, what Palmeri was doing). The video shows Palmeri chasing DeSantis down the stairs of a building, bearing down on him with unrelenting questions.
Rather than be intimidated, though, DeSantis simply opted to ignore her.
in person, I immediately sensed a very different potential candidate: a guarded politician who had no interest in actually engaging with other humans, and was perhaps even a little scared of the spotlight. He had trouble making eye contact with people in the crowd.
— Tara Palmeri (@tarapalmeri) May 22, 2023
DeSantis’ supporters are right to question whether it’s fair to judge a politician by their willingness to fall in line with the typical reporter narrative. A politician’s fortitude should be measured by his performance in office, not by whether or not he or she pleases an individual reporter.
Indeed, DeSantis has a track record of success in Florida, having recently won the state by a 20–point margin. And far from simply pandering to his constituents, it’s a record that includes signing a number of hard–fought pieces of legislation.
Unfortunately for those looking for fairness and balance in the media, Palmeri doesn’t seem to hold Joe Biden to the same standard. When challenged on why he’s not required to answer questions, Palmeri blamed Biden’s supposed “stutter.”
This assertion isn’t even close to correct. Biden’s issues are not caused by a “stutter,” as videos of his recent trip to Japan demonstrate.
What’s more, Palmeri’s article was subsequently shared by the Trump war room in an attempt to attack DeSantis. While Trump obviously has a vested interest in the 2024 election, this strategy isn’t likely to serve the former president well in the long run.
At the end of the day, DeSantis’ record in office speaks for itself. He shouldn’t be judged by his willingness to give in to the harassment of reporters. He should be judged on how well he’s served the people of Florida, and by all accounts, he’s done a spectacular job.
Team Trump is now attacking DeSantis for ignoring the fake news media.
What a time to be alive. pic.twitter.com/2liaihfzfr
— Han Shawnity 🇺🇸 (@HanShawnity) May 23, 2023
