Maxwell Frost calls Ron DeSantis’ campaign ‘fascism’

Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost has accused Ron DeSantis of practicing “fascism” following his attacks on LGBTQ+ rights and black history.

Frost, America’s youngest congressman, said politicians need to be “honest” about DeSantis’ strategy.

The Florida governor is responsible for the “Don’t Say Gay” law that restricts teaching of LGBTQ+ issues in schools, and in January tried to tone down Black history teaching by opening an African-American studies course in a high school blocked.

Frost, 26, told CNN’s Jim Acosta, “That’s what we’re dealing with in Florida right now. It’s hard to keep track of things because it seems like every day there’s a new victim, a new bill.”

When asked how Democrats and activists should approach legislation proposed by DeSantis and other anti-LGBTQ+ Republicans, he said politicians need to be bold in their messages.

“We have to call it what it is, he is abusing his power and using the state to attack political opponents and political enemies. There’s a word for that, and it’s fascism.”

DeSantis has hinted that he will run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, and Frost warned he could become a “problem for the nation.”

Frost added, “We need to make everyone aware and speak out that he’s targeting trans people, not just black history, but black people in general.”

Frost took office in January after beating Republican Calvin Wimbish for the state’s 10th Circuit in the 2022 midterm elections.

He is the first Generation Z politician to be elected to Congress in the United States.

Ron DeSantis could run for president in 2024

Though he has yet to officially announce his campaign, DeSantis is widely viewed as a contender for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election.

Not only has the 44-year-old governor effectively silenced any mention of LGBTQ+ people in Florida’s schools, he has also focused on destroying what he considers “awakened.”

He has spoken out against gender-affirming grooming, drag queens, LGBTQ+ library books and trans women in sports. Most recently, he took control of Disney’s self-governing district — which used to operate the theme parks — seemingly as punishment for the company’s defiance of its “Don’t Say Gay” law.

DeSantis signed legislation to take control of the area last month, telling the press, “There’s a new sheriff in town and accountability will be the order of the day.”

The western half of Orlando, where Walt Disney World is located, falls within Frost’s congressional district – a rare Democratic location in predominantly Republican Florida.