Gov. Ron DeSantis declared war on the “Woke” society at an event Wednesday morning in The Villages.
DeSantis, widely seen as a leading 2024 GOP contender for the White House, was introduced as a “combatant of Critical Race Theory” at the event at the Ezell Recreation Center.
“Nobody wants this crap. It is an elite-driven phenomenon,” DeSantis said. “They are trying to shove it down our throats. They are not doing that in Florida.”
He attacked the Woke ideology that he said is seeping into everything from schools to corporate America.
The governor blasted Wokeness, which he equated to “cultural Marxism.”
He said it is apparent there are educators who are trying to force ideology on children in schools.
“No taxpayer dollars should be used to train our kids to hate our country,” DeSantis said.
He said he has directed the state’s education department to prohibit the teaching of Critical Race Theory in Florida’s schools.
“We have a chance to draw a line in the sand. We don’t want this ideology. We want people treated equally,” DeSantis told the crowd.
He warned that Woke ideology is also spreading through corporate America.
“It goes beyond education and is being used by corporate America to create hostile work environments for employees,” DeSantis said.
He pointed to “indoctrination” programs at Verizon, Bank of America and Google.
The governor used the event to introduce the “(Stop) Wrongs Against Our Kids and Employees Act.”
He said this bill will be introduced in the Florida Legislature in an effort to protect the Sunshine State from the threat of Woke ideology. The legislature will reconvene in January.
At the conclusion of his remarks, the governor tossed white, autographed DeSantis hats into the crowd.
