RUNNING ON WOKE

Peter Thiel Likes Ron DeSantis for President, But Has One Worry

DeSantis infamously touted Florida as a place “where woke goes to die.”

Republican mega-donor Peter Thiel sees potential in Ron DeSantis, saying that the Florida governor would “make a terrific president.” On Wednesday’s episode of the Honestly podcast, Thiel told host Bari Weiss that he liked DeSantis as the GOP’s nominee–with one stipulation. “If he’s the Republican nominee, I will strongly support him in 2024,” Thiel said of DeSantis. “But I do worry that focusing on the woke issue as ground zero is not quite enough.” DeSantis’ war on wokeness has been the crux of his political platform as of late. He infamously touted Florida as a place “where woke goes to die” in a January speech. Support for anti-LGBTQ+ policies, such as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, have largely defined his tenure as governor. In fact, it’s that very law that landed him in his ongoing feud with Disney, which has drawn the ire of old-school conservatives who believe the governor shouldn’t be so willing to piss off a big corporation.