Liberals have pledged to ‘cancel’ country musician Luke Bryan after he brought out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis during a concert in Jacksonville on Friday. The show was designed to raise funds for Hurricane Ian relief efforts in the afflicted state.
As he approached the stage for his unexpected visit, the Republican governor was greeted with cheers, which were not shared by the awakened people online.
DeDantis, a staunch conservative widely recognized for his anti-woke views – and occasionally criticized for them – flung hats into the crowd as he joined Bryan and asked bystanders if they were ‘happy to be in the free state of Florida?’
While the response in person was deafening, liberals were quick to condemn Bryan on social media for his association with the governor.
Bryan, who has hosted the Country Music Awards twice and will do so again this year, was in Jacksonville last month as part of his ‘Raised Up Right’ tour, which had been postponed many times due to the historic storm’s destruction.
Due to Ian, the country music superstar was forced to reschedule and alter many venues for three previously scheduled Florida appearances.
Video from the Friday program
Bryan walked onstage under the bright lines with no music playing at the beginning of the event, before he and his partner began speaking to the audience about the tragic hurricane and Florida’s rebuilding efforts.
While well-received by locals, liberals throughout the nation were less enthusiastic, with many highlighting DeSantis’ signing of the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which prohibited schools from teaching gender identity and sexual orientation to children under the age of 10.
‘So Luke Bryan acknowledges he hates women, LGBTQ people, and immigrants,’ another user wrote in a similar tweet, referring to the politician’s divisive stances.
Others stated that they would no longer listen to the performer’s music because of the cameo, which appeared to take the internet by storm.
“I am so appalled that you shared the platform with DeSantis,” one user noted amid the subsequent torrent of criticism.
The billboard continued, “He exemplifies what is wrong with humanity; he does racist stunts, and he is genuinely a soulless, wicked man,” without providing any examples to substantiate their dubious assertions.
“I can no longer listen to your music with a clear conscience,” they continued, adding, “You are an enormous letdown.”
Another, more impolite user stated: “Luke Bryan can f@ck himself to death.”
A commenter with similar sentiments wrote, “Sad and extremely disheartening.” F**k you Luke Bryan.’
Other posts echoed similar comments, with nearly all indicating that the vast majority of users disavowed the incredibly popular singer who has served as a judge on American Idol for the past six years.
Many warned that a potential boycott could be on the horizon, despite the fact that Bryan, 46, never disclosed whether he supported DeSantis’ beliefs in the past.
After making landfall in Southwest Florida last month and leaving several portions of the state unrecognizable, the singer only stated that he and the governor were trying to raise funds for Florida.
The throng is shown on video greeting DeSantis, who is seeking for re-election in November and has hinted at a 2024 presidential bid.
Last month, the state of Florida had to deal with a major hurricane, which is difficult. It has harmed many individuals,’ DeSantis adds in the on-stage film.
Show me a state that can construct bridges in three days, despite the fact that I can say so. I don’t believe you can locate that.
The video then shows DeSantis and Bryan shaking hands and embracing in what appears to be a healthy and even generous environment.
During his presence, the Republican governor encouraged concertgoers to vote, eliciting enthusiastic applause and chants of “USA” from the appreciative throng.
DeSantis will also applaud Bryan for his generosity in aiding recovery operations, adding that the singer has already donated to his Florida Disaster Fund and that he intends to donate more.
Bryan then disclosed that he would contribute the revenues from his rescheduled concert in Estero, Florida to the foundation.
Bryan has previously stated that all proceeds from his upcoming gigs in Florida, including the one in Jacksonville, will be donated to a relief fund for the millions of disaster victims.
“They had to utilize the venue where I was performing as a refuge due to the hurricane,” Bryan said of the storm that forced his team to postpone three previously scheduled engagements in Florida.
I’m sending the funds to the state of Florida.
DeSantis and his Florida Disaster Fund have successfully gathered more over $50 million for reconstruction efforts since Ian made landfall almost a month ago.
The federal government has also responded to DeSantis’ request for assistance, with the US Department of Labor awarding $30 million in National Dislocated Worker Grants to Floridians who have lost their jobs as a result of the storm.
Officials are still assessing the damage caused by the storm, which made landfall along the Gulf Coast and then swept across the state’s central and upper regions.
Fort Myers Beach, a Gulf Coast city that took the brunt of the storm, was battered so severely that State Senator Marco Rubio declared earlier this month that the unrecognizable city ‘no longer exists’
Homes have been demolished and ships have been dragged ashore by overflowing floodwaters, and at least 81 people have been reported dead, the most of them are from the little city.
Other major locations destroyed by the hurricane included Naples and Orlando, both of which have struggled to recover in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
DeSantis, on the other hand, has been credited with uniting the state’s numerous affected counties in the recovery effort, securing federal help through a combination of perseverance and resolute leadership.
“Thank you, Luke Bryan, for allowing me to crash the party last night!” DeSantis wrote on social media on Saturday after his performance, dismissing the anger that has since flooded many internet platforms. In March, DeSantis drew the ire of liberals when he signed into law a parental rights bill that prohibits teachers in kindergarten through third grade from providing classroom instruction on’sexual orientation’ or ‘gender identity.’
The law, officially named The Parental Rights in Education bill, empowers parents to sue teachers who violate its requirements.
At the time of the bill’s signing, DeSantis thanked lawmakers for their assistance in passing it.
He stated, “Part of the reason we battled for parents’ rights in education is that there is a movement to even include gender ideology in elementary schools.”
‘In my opinion, our schools should be teaching these children to read, write, add, and subtract, as well as perform the other required tasks. It is improper to inject their agendas into it.
DeSantis continued, “I believe our state, Florida, must be a family-friendly state. We must be a good state in which people can raise a family, receive a high-quality education, and have many options without having political agendas thrust down their throats.
However, the bill was swiftly faced with opposition, creating clashes with largely progressive businesses such as Disney, which publicly opposed the guidance in response to pressure from liberals across the country, and the president himself.
Shortly after the bill was signed, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes told the Oscars audience to expect not only a great night, but also a “gay night” – mockingly repeating the word “gay” throughout the show.
Earlier this year, President Biden even described the instructions as “hateful.”
DeSantis responded to the critics at the time by stating, ‘They don’t want to confess that they support many of the things that we’re providing protections against.’
The lawmaker then accused the left and liberal elite of’sexualizing’ school-aged children for political purposes.
“For instance, they advocate sexualizing children in kindergarten,” DeSantis said of the scrutiny the bill faced as it moved through Congress.
‘They advocate introducing woke gender theory into second grade classes,’ he continued, adding, ‘what they are attempting to do with these slogans and storylines is to conceal their genuine aims.’
Other similar woke offensives, such as attempting to prohibit schools from requiring students to attend drag shows in his state, have earned the governor increasing criticism from progressive opponents who have been largely unaffected by the DeSantis’ policies, with the majority of them not residing in Florida.
Consequently, DeSantis has emerged as one of the main candidates for the Republican Party’s next White House bid, much to the annoyance of his chief rival, former President Donald Trump.
This week, the Trump campaign announced preparations for an election week event in Miami for Sen. Rubio, but notably excluded DeSantis.
Since then, a Trump official has stated that the governor of Florida will not attend, sparking suspicions of tensions between the two camps.
Trump is the only candidate that outperforms the governor in the 2024 poll, and he has also expressed interest in a third presidential bid.