DeSantis Faces CNN Smears of Racism in Education

Written by Tim Graham

Anyone watching leftist cable news channels knows that it’s considered fair commentary to categorize Republicans, individually or collectively, as “white nationalists” or “white supremacists.” Anyone standing in the way of the Black Lives Matter/critical race theory crusade is dealt the Racist card.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis scored a political win in pressuring the College Board to tone down their proposed Advanced Placement curriculum on “African American Studies.” Every conservative knows from experience that when you place “studies” in front of a minority group — black studies, queer studies, Native American studies, women’s studies — you can expect a highly ideological journey.

DeSantis dared to take on the Left, and for this, he is despised by the press, especially the under-40 contingent that’s most fervently “woke.” On Feb. 1, when CNN anchor Bianna Golodryga asked former Obama education secretary Arne Duncan for his hot take on the DeSantis objections, she drew predictable results.

Duncan began: “Unfortunately, you know, Governor DeSantis has been very, very clear he has what appears to be a white nationalist agenda.” Duncan offered no evidence for his inflammatory smear, and Golodryga didn’t ask for it.

Duncan wasn’t finished: “And what I hate most is he just always attacks the most vulnerable, whether it’s the AP African-American history, whether it’s the LGBTQ community, whether it’s immigrants, he always attacks the most vulnerable.” He added that he hopes voters “don’t think that is what our country needs — is more bullying, more attacking on those that need our help and our support.”

Democrats always act like only their constituencies are “vulnerable,” and can never be plausibly challenged or criticized for anything because that’s “bullying.” Their supporters can never be too radical or cynical or hateful. But if you’re black or gay or an immigrant and you criticize Democrats, that’s obviously different. Then you’re a traitor to your community.

The Big Lie — to borrow from daily CNN lingo — is that Republicans object to teaching slavery or segregation in American history classes, or as Duncan claimed, they want to “hide the tough parts.” Instead, the objections center on contemporary propaganda about “intersectionality and activism,” “incarceration and abolition (of prisons),” and boosterism for Black Lives Matter.

Tim Graham is Executive Editor of NewsBusters and host of the NewsBusters Podcast. His career at the Media Research Center began in February 1989 as associate editor of MediaWatch, the monthly newsletter of the MRC before the Internet era.