Miami Herald slams DeSantis’ hypocrisy on 'fake news' after campaign seeks fundraising help from satirical site

The Miami Herald is calling out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for his campaign's hypocrisy regarding fake news. The newspaper noted DeSantis' habit of labeling oppositional reports, unfavorable statistics, and the "fake news media" as "the enemy" and how he seems to disregard that label when it can be used to his advantage.

DeSantis and his campaign are being slammed for receiving help from a satirical news outlet to raise money for his re-election campaign. "When it comes to raising money for his reelection bid," The Herald wrote, "the Republican governor’s campaign and an associated political committee have sought help from a satire website with the tagline 'Fake news you can trust.'”

State campaign records indicate that DeSantis' campaign committee, along with the Friends of Ron DeSantis political action committee (PAC), paid approximately $15,000 to the r satirical site The Babylon Bee for "services related to online fundraising."

Open Secrets executive director Sheila Krumholz explained why The Babylon Bee may have appealed to the Republican governor. “They want to reach people who might not know about your campaign, but might be persuaded to learn more,” said Krumholz.

However, The Herald is highlighting the problem with this tactic when it comes to DeSantis. While it's not uncommon for PACs to pay for advertising from partisan news outlets with audiences that align with candidates' political platforms, The Herald is emphasizing how DeSantis is fine with the idea of circulating fake news when it's for a self-serving reason.

Last month, DeSantis lashed out about “fake narratives” amid debates about the controversial Republican-led “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Per USA Today, DeSantis said “that parents don’t want their children exposed to such information and blamed ‘sloganeering and fake narratives by leftist politicians, by activists and corporate media,’ for stirring controversy over the bill.”