An increasing number of New Yorkers are sprinting south because of the Empire State’s ongoing fiscal “tailspin,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in an interview Tuesday.
With new US Census data showing population booming in Florida and shriveling elsewhere, DeSantis said regressive tax policies are driving the flight.
“They tax and regulate so they repel people to leave their state,” he told Fox Radio host Guy Benson. “The base shrinks so they got to do it again to try to square the circle. And you just can’t have it. So states like Illinois, New York — they are in a tailspin and they’re not probably going to be willing to change their policies.”
While Florida saw its seams strain with 211,000 newcomers in 2021, New York’s population shrank by 400,000, according to new US Census numbers.
DeSantis launched a flurry of political haymakers during the interview, arguing that California — which lost 262,000 people — shed population due to “failed policies.”
Golden State Gov. Gavin Newsom recently skewered DeSantis, saying, “I do not look for inspiration from that particular governor” — and accusing him of empty theatrics.
Newsom bashed his COVID approach and war on critical race theory — which the Californian said “doesn’t exist.”
“It’s rather absurd,” he said. “And that’s why I respectfully submit that so much of this is pure performance.”
DeSantis pointed to the Census scoreboard in responding.
“Well, first I would say how many people are moving from his state, fleeing to come to mine for freedom versus vice-versa?” he said. “And I guarantee you we win in the net — in-migration people are leaving California in numbers we’re never seen because of his failed policies.”
DeSantis, who has casually caromed from one culture war front to another in recent weeks, noted that the influx of blue-state emigres has had a surprising political impact.
The potential 2024 presidential candidate said the number of registered Republicans has swelled during his time in Tallahassee.
“Today we can announce that Florida Republicans now outnumber Democrats by over 100,000 registrants,” he said in the interview. “So you’re looking at close to a 400,000-registration swing.”
He argued that Florida’s emergence as a high-profile Republican beacon is drawing fire from influential Democrats — including President Biden.
DeSantis said his state is “leading the free world” — with backers of his often controversial policies viewing Florida as the new “citadel of freedom.”
Rising crime rates in other parts of the nation have also spurred interest, he argued.
“A lot of families were like, look, I need to live in a state that’s a law-and-order state,” he said. “So the number of people I run into from, like, Washington state or Minnesota who say one of the breaking points for them was the fact that crime was going through the roof.”
DeSantis drew especially fierce criticism this week after signing a bill that bans instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade.
Backers argued that the topics are inappropriate for young children.
Critics — including top Disney executives — branded it the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and called it a discriminatory attack on the LGBTQ community.