Disney’s CEO Bob Iger speaks with CNBC’s David Faber at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA on Dec. 16th, 2021.
David A. Grogan | CNBC
Disney CEO Bob Iger on Thursday rejected Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ campaign rhetoric against the company, calling the Republican presidential candidate’s attacks “preposterous and inaccurate.”
Iger, who spoke in an exclusive interview with CNBC, was responding to DeSantis’ refrain from the campaign trail that the entertainment giant is “sexualizing children.”
Iger, the CEO of one of Florida’s largest employers, also defended Disney’s right to speak out last year against a controversial state bill that limited classroom discussion of LGBTQ issues, dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by critics.
The move by then-CEO Bob Chapek, who succeeded Iger in 2020 and resigned in 2022 when Iger returned to the helm, kicked off the bitter feud with the governor and his Republican allies. Following Disney’s criticism, the Florida officials targeted the special tax district that for decades had allowed Walt Disney World to essentially self-govern its Florida operations. Disney has sued, alleging DeSantis has waged a campaign of political retribution against the company.
“We are concerned that he has decided to retaliate against the company for a position the company took on pending legislation in that state,” Iger said.
“And frankly, the company was within its right, even though I’m not sure it was handled very well, it was within its right to speak up on an issue [of the] constitutionally protected right of free speech,” he said. “To retaliate against he company in a way that would be harmful to the business was not something that we could sit back and tolerate.”
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