Reality-Checking DeSantis’s Presidential Marketing campaign Launch on Twitter

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida introduced his presidential bid on Wednesday night time in a livestream on Twitter that was delayed by technical difficulties and peppered with sometimes deceptive claims.

Right here’s a reality examine of a few of his claims.

What WAS Stated

“Biden’s additionally politicized the army and prompted recruiting to plummet.”

This lacks proof. Army leaders have not too long ago warned that a number of branches of the armed forces are struggling to fulfill recruiting targets, however the causes they’ve cited have little to do with President Biden. Specifically, many youthful Individuals merely fail to qualify.

A 2020 Pentagon research discovered that simply 23 p.c of 17- to 24-year-olds can meet service requirements, with many failing the army’s entrance exams or health and psychological checks. That fee decreased by six share factors from the earlier research in 2017.

Military leaders addressed recruiting points in a congressional listening to in April, noting that the difficulty has been ongoing.

“The tough recruiting panorama we face didn’t occur in a yr, and it’s going to take us greater than a yr to show this round,” mentioned Christine Wormuth, the secretary of the military.

Ms. Wormuth additionally famous {that a} Pentagon survey of two,400 individuals ages 16 to twenty-eight had requested about obstacles to enlisting. Respondents cited concern of harm and demise as the highest concern whereas cultural and political points — “wokeness within the army or the Covid vaccine mandate, for instance — these had been comparatively low on the record of limitations to service,” she mentioned.

What WAS Stated

“In Florida, our crime fee is at a 50-year low. You have a look at the highest 25 cities for crime in America, Florida doesn’t rank amongst the highest 25.”

That is largely true. The state’s crime fee did fall to a 50-year low in 2021, however Mr. DeSantis omits an enormous caveat: Many legislation enforcement companies within the state switched to a distinct reporting methodology and the info is provisional and incomplete in lots of circumstances, The Tampa Bay Instances reported.

Knowledge from simply 59 p.c of Florida companies masking 57.5 p.c of the inhabitants was used for the state’s complete mixture crime fee in 2021. That mirrors a nationwide development: Throughout the nation, almost 40 p.c of legislation enforcement companies didn’t report 2021 crime information due to the brand new methodology.

No Florida metropolis ranked close to the highest for violent crime fee compiled by non-public firms and information retailers. But it surely’s price noting the Federal Bureau of Investigation and felony justice specialists have additionally lengthy suggested in opposition to evaluating crime charges throughout cities, given the broad variation in inhabitants measurement and demographics.

What WAS Stated

“No one most likely has made Disney more cash than me as a result of they had been open throughout Covid. They usually had been closed in California and that went on for a lot of, many months the place actually, I had all of the theme parks in Florida opened in 2020.”

That is exaggerated. Disney World in Florida closed on March 15, 2020, together with each different Disney theme park worldwide. It reopened in July, after being shut down for 4 months. Disney resorts in Paris, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Tokyo additionally reopened in 2020 after being closed for months. Disneyland in California reopened April 30, 2021, after a yearlong shutdown, the longest among the many Disney resorts, as soon as the state allowed theme parks to welcome again guests.

Mr. DeSantis can also be downplaying his personal actions throughout the coronavirus pandemic. He issued an govt order on April 1, 2020, directing all residents in Florida to “restrict their actions and private interactions exterior of their residence to solely these vital.” Whereas the order didn’t explicitly shut theme parks, it restricted openings to important companies and actions, and prohibited gatherings of greater than 10 individuals. The order expired on Might 1.

What WAS Stated

“The entire e book ban factor is a hoax. There’s not been a single e book banned within the state of Florida. You may go purchase or use no matter e book you need.”

That is deceptive. There was no statewide ban of a e book, however Mr. DeSantis is vastly taking part in down the extent to which particular person faculty districts and libraries in elements of the state have eliminated books. The truth is, Florida ranks second, behind Texas, because the state with probably the most bans at 357, in keeping with PEN America, a nonprofit that helps free expression.

Laws signed by Mr. DeSantis limiting dialogue of sexual orientation, gender identification and race has led lecturers and administrations to take away books.

Books which have been faraway from cabinets in Florida embrace an image e book about two male penguins elevating a chick, Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” and Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Story.”