Ron DeSantis seems to be placing his popularity ahead of the First Amendment, especially if it aids his standing in the next polls. This becomes increasingly evident when analyzing his somewhat hampered ‘Disney strategy’ – here we find him trailing 46 points behind Trump. His current focus appears to be shifting to the free speech rights on campuses, a hot-button issue among the right.
The Florida governor took a new direction after Stanford’s controversial decision as well as the fallout from Judge Ho’s boycott made headlines. DeSantis now seeks to ensure that voices expressing Palestinian views will be curtailed.
However, crucial information from Reuters reveals that Florida’s university system is now required to disband a pro-Palestinian student group. This marks the first time a state has banned a group known to support Hamas’ aggressive stance towards Israel. Florida’s actions cracks down on what it deems as ‘harmful support for terrorist groups’ emerging from campus demonstrations.
Yet, the implications of this action might be more far-reaching than anticipated. Specifically, if ‘terrorist group’ support becomes the line in the sand, DeSantis and his colleagues may have to face questions about campus support for US military and police forces. This is intriguing, considering the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ revelation about these institutions’ increasing involvement in domestic terrorist plots and attacks.
Howard Wasserman at PrawfsBlawg articulates the issue perfectly; government acceptance that unfavourable ideas and their proponents are protected would alleviate the struggle for free-speech maximalists. However, it’s often easier for governments to score political points and lose court battles, despite the presence of constitutionally protected speech.
DeSantis, who is a contender for the Republican party’s presidential nomination, has taken a hard line against Palestinians, going so far as to suggest that Gazan civilians be denied water and utilities until Hamas releases hostages. But there is a thin line between preventing student groups from meeting on campus and people getting arrested for their social media posts. A quick glimpse at the current trajectory may force one to question whether freedom of speech is genuinely valued or strategically allocated.