Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign released a video of the candidate defining the term “woke” on Friday days after former President Donald Trump said he didn’t like the word because “half the people can’t define it”.
During a campaign stop in Iowa, NBC reporter Dasha Burns asked the Florida governor about Trump’s comments.
‘[Trump] says he doesn’t like to use the word “woke” because people don’t know what it means. This is obviously a big part of your message. What do you think ? she asked.
“Look, we know what revival is, it’s a form of cultural Marxism,” DeSantis replied.
Last week, also in Iowa, former President Donald Trump said he didn’t like the word awake because many people struggle to define it.
“It’s about putting merit and achievement behind identity politics, and it’s basically a war on truth. And how it infected the institutions, and it corrupted the institutions. So you gotta be ready to fight the revival, we did it in Florida, and we proudly consider ourselves the state where the revival is going to die.
The DeSantis War Room – the contestant’s quick-response Twitter operation – retweeted the clip over the weekend and wrote: ‘Prompted to define WOKE, @RonDeSantis doesn’t miss a beat:
“It’s a form of cultural Marxism… It’s a war on truth.”
Trump – who along with DeSantis is considered the frontrunner for the Republican Party’s 2024 nomination – had made his statement lambasting the term “woke” earlier in the week during a campaign stop in Urbandale, Iowa.
The third presidential candidate said: “I don’t like the term ‘woke’, because I hear the term ‘woke up woken up’…it’s just a term they use, half the people don’t can’t define it, they don’t “I don’t know what it is.
Republican U.S. presidential candidate and Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis speaks during the Roast and Ride event hosted by U.S. Senator Joni Ernst during his campaign in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. June 3, 2023
Republicans have long defined “woke” as an umbrella term for progressive ideology and actions that undermine American freedom and ideals.
The term had been used to describe the progressive stance on a number of culture war issues, including allowing transgender girls and women to compete against biological women in athletic competitions, as many argue this creates an unfair advantage. Swimmer Riley Gaines has long been an outspoken critic of trans girls in women’s sports.
Other examples include US corporations taking public stances or pushing liberal ideals on consumers. Most notably, Bud Light suffered a $27 billion drop in value as boycotts lasted for months after the company’s disastrous partnership with trans Dylan Mulvaney.
The critical race theory used in schools has also been used to promote a “woke” agenda and a target for conservatives.
DeSantis identified the fight against awakening as a key pillar of his presidential campaign and said he planned to suppress “woke ideology” in the United States.
When asked in a recent Fox News interview why now is the right time for him to run for president, DeSantis said:
“Because everyone knows that if I’m the nominee, I’ll beat Biden and serve two terms and I can destroy leftism in this country and leave woke ideology in the dustbin of history.”
Casey DeSantis wore a leather jacket with a message in 90-degree Iowa last week: ‘Where revival will die’ emblazoned across its back
CRT and its use in schools have become the target of those trying to fight the “woke” agenda and alienate progressive ideas
On Saturday, DeSantis’ wife, Casey DeSantis, was spotted out in the scorching Iowa heat wearing a leather jacket with the words “WHERE WOKE GOES TO DIE” written on the back.
The design also featured a glimpse of the state of Florida and a snapping alligator.
DeSantis is currently polling nearly 40 points behind Donald Trump, according to most presidential primary polls at the start of the primary.
After a landslide re-election at the governor’s mansion in November, DeSantis started the year with some leads on Trump.
But those leads faded in the early months of 2023, and DeSantis’ botched presidential announcement two weeks ago failed to earn him an early bump that would bring him closer to Trump’s polling range.
