If it wasn’t obvious already by the media’s behavior, they are deathly afraid of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

It’s as if they know that Joe Biden isn’t the capable moderate that they billed him as during the campaign, and they know that they are stuck with Kamala Harris if Joe takes a slightly more permanent trip on the stairs. And when 2024 rolls around, the media knows they are either stuck with Biden or Harris. While they are desperate for Trump to run again (they miss the Bad Orange Man and his ability to drive up their ratings), they are not certain of what will happen. Thus, the need to make sure DeSantis is neutralized as a threat. Because even though it is way too early to start making judgments for 2024, the media has already identified the most dangerous target.

This is why the hatchet job by “60 Minutes” is allowed to slide by, even when Florida DEMOCRATS call it out as a hit piece. DeSantis himself was not shy about calling out CBS and “60 Minutes.”

Somehow, Sharyn Alfonsi, the “60 Minutes” reporter, is allowed to get away with not actually acknowledging that they did a full smear on DeSantis.

Sunday’s @60Minutes ended with @Sharyn_Alfonsi reading comments about her shoddy hit piece on @RonDeSantisFL. She didn’t acknowledge doing anything wrong. “Some viewers, including a retired newsman, applauded the story.” #60Minutes pic.twitter.com/v5qEwT5PXc

— Brent Baker (@BrentHBaker) April 12, 2021

The only reason that she was even forced to acknowledge that much was the fact that both sides of the aisle in Florida called her out. Otherwise, this would have become part and parcel of the emerging DeSantis narrative in the media, like the ongoing belief that Rebekah Jones was a whistleblower about Florida’s COVID numbers, and not an exceptionally crazy person who was seeking attention and got fired.

Enter Joy Reid, who apparently believes that if you can’t find anything bad to say, you just need to lie and create guilt by association.

i wonder if DeSantis has a strong case here for "actual malice." https://t.co/1mlZxCZvnA

— tsar becket adams (@BecketAdams) April 15, 2021

Wait, what?

Reid and Kirschner were discussing a report from Politico Wednesday about an alleged trip to the Bahamas in 2018 involving Gaetz, GOP fundraiser Jason Pirozzolo, and former Florida state Rep. Halsey Beshears. At the time, Gaetz was a top adviser to candidate DeSantis.”

“If you’re Ron DeSantis, does it feel like it’s creeping closer to you?” Reid said. “Because these are your friends, these are your allies.”

“You have to believe that DeSantis, I mean, these are his boys, these are his guys, right we’ve seen the pictures, we’ve seen the stories,” Kirschner said. “You have to believe that Ron DeSantis, if he has done anything wrong, feels like things are creeping closer and closer to him.”

By Joy Reid’s logic, because Matt Gaetz is currently under investigation, and Gaetz once worked for DeSantis, this OBVIOUSLY means that DeSantis is implicated in whatever Gaetz is accused of? These are the same people who refuse to ask any questions about Bill Clinton being on Jeffrey Epstein’s private plane or his private island, and yet Joy Reid has gone from “Matt Gaetz under investigation” to “Matt Gaetz, Florida Republican” to “all Florida Republicans” to “the walls are closing in on Ron DeSantis!!!”

The only thing that is going to actually rein the media in from their wild and libelous ways is a lawsuit. I feel like DeSantis has at least enough here to open up a libel suit against “60 Minutes,” given the evidence. Joy Reid might be a harder sell, because while I believe that she is malicious, I also think she would play “I was just SPECULATING” card, and it likely would be enough to get a suit dismissed.

Meanwhile, DeSantis is not going to be distracted as he gives the media and Democrats (but I repeat myself) even more reasons to be afraid of him.

"If you get a vaccine … you're immune. So act immune."

— Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on why two masks aren't necessary after vaccination pic.twitter.com/GwxE6i5tkD

— The Recount (@therecount) April 16, 2021

How DARE he tell people to not live in abject fear of COVID after being vaccinated??? Why, people might get the idea that they are FREE to do what they want!!!

And that is why the media is desperate to take DeSantis out.

Featured image: Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, official portrait, public domain