Ron DeSantis' War on Woke is Turning Off Republicans

Republican voters are more likely to back a candidate who thinks government should "stay out of deciding what corporations can support," rather than one that intervenes to combat "woke" companies, according to a new poll.

A Siena/New York Times survey found 52 percent of likely GOP voters would prefer "a candidate who says that the government should stay out of deciding what corporations can support," as opposed to 38 percent for "a candidate who promises to fight corporations that promote 'woke' left ideology." The remaining 10 percent either said they didn't know, or refused to answer.

Ron DeSantis has made his campaign against what he deems "woke" corporations a key plank in his GOP primary campaign, with the Florida governor having stripped Disney of its self-governing status after the company criticized his policies on LGBTQ education in schools. DeSantis is facing off against former President Donald Trump, who enjoys a commanding lead with Republican voters according to recent polling.

The Siena poll also a strong majority of Republican voters would prefer a candidate who focuses on crime and the southern border over fighting "woke" ideology.

Of those surveyed 65 percent said they would be most likely to support "a candidate who focuses on restoring law and order in our streets and at the border," versus 24 percent for a contender "who focuses on defeating radical 'woke' ideology in our schools, media and culture." The final 11 percent either declined to answer, or said they didn't know.

Overall 54 percent of likely Republican voters said they are most likely to support Trump, versus just 17 percent for DeSantis. Former vice president Mike Pence, Senator Tim Scott and ex-South Carolina Governor Nicki Haley are joint third, with three percent support each, while 13 percent were unsure or didn't answer.

The survey, of 818 likely Republican voters, was conducted by telephone from July 23-27.

Newsweek has reached out to the DeSantis presidential campaign for comment via email.

In April 2022 DeSantis signed a bill stripping Disney of the special self-governing status it had enjoyed around its Florida theme parks, known as the Reedy Creek Improvement District.

It came after then Disney CEO Bob Chapek criticized DeSantis's Parental Rights in Education Bill Act, which banned teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity through third grade. This was later extended to ban instruction on these subjects through twelfth grade, with limited exemptions.

Chapek said DeSantis's legislation, dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" law by critics, "should never have passed and should never have been signed into law" and said Disney would campaign to get it repealed.

DeSantis also backed a conservative boycott of Bud Light, after the company worked with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney to celebrate her transition to womanhood in March. During an appearance on The Benny Show the Florida Governor called the boycott "righteous," adding: "Why would you want to drink Bud Light?"

In July DeSantis wrote to the Florida state pension manager, urging them to take legal action against Bud Light's parent company Anheuser-Busch, arguing the firm had "breached legal duties owed to its shareholders" by associating with "radical social ideologies."