Joe Biden mocks Ron DeSantis for ‘hunting Mickey Mouse’

President Joe Biden appeared to taunt Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis about his falling out with the Walt Disney Company during a speech at a Democratic National Committee (DNC) fundraiser Thursday.

Biden was speaking at the Portland Yacht Club in Portland, Oregon as he addressed the issue of the Republican Party, which he says has been taken over by the “far right.”

The president joked that Republicans in Florida are now “chasing Mickey Mouse,” a reference to DeSantis’ dispute with Disney over a controversial education law that critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law.

DeSantis, a Republican widely believed to be a strong presidential candidate for 2024, is expected to sign legislation abolishing a special borough in Florida that would allow Disney to operate its own local government in the area where its theme parks are located.

Biden said Thursday there was “virtually no Republican support” for his agenda.

“What’s happened is there’s a bunch of Republicans who know better, but they’re scared,” Biden said.

“I know – I’m not going to ask names, but I’m sure my Senate colleagues can tell you that at least six US senators came up to me and said, ‘I know – I know I should vote for it . joe But if I do that, they will train me and I will be out,” he said.

“It’s not very brave, but that — the extreme right has taken over this party,” the president said.

Biden then addressed DeSantis’ disagreement with Disney.

“And it’s not even conservative in the traditional sense of conservative,” Biden said.

“It’s mean. It’s ugly. It’s the way — look what’s happening down in Florida,” he said.

“Christ, they’re after Mickey Mouse,” Biden said.

The official White House transcript does not include the word “Christ,” marking what Biden said as “unintelligible.” However, Biden’s comments at the time were independently reported by news outlets, including CNN.

“I mean, seriously, think about it,” Biden continued, according to the transcript. “As my friend used to say, ‘Who would have thought?'”

news week has reached out to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office for comment.

Disney was initially criticized for not speaking out against the Don’t Say Gay Act — officially the Parents’ Rights in Education Act — but later took a firm stance against it, promising to help repeal the law help or have it struck down in court.

The law prohibits “classroom discussions about sexual orientation or gender identity at certain grade levels or in a certain way.”

On Thursday, the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill that would dissolve Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), which had existed since 1967, and allow Disney to run its own local government, collect its own taxes, and provide its own services like firefighting. The State Senate passed a corresponding law on Wednesday.

If DeSantis signs the bill as expected, RCID will be disbanded on June 1, 2023, but an expert spoke to him news week This week, Disney suggested the district could be renewed by lawmakers before that date next year.