(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Daily Beast found itself at the center of a firestorm of criticism after publishing a deeply disturbing and misogynistic opinion piece that targeted Casey DeSantis, the wife of prominent Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Headlined “Casey DeSantis Is the Walmart Melania,” the article drew comparisons between Mrs. DeSantis, a breast cancer survivor who achieved professional milestones as a news anchor, to former First Lady Melania Trump. Katie Baker, the executive editor of The Beast, criticized Casey’s choice of jacket worn during a campaign event on Saturday and claimed, “[W]hile Casey may be trying to position herself after Jackie Kennedy (good luck) and even Melania, if this weekend is any indication, she’s falling far short.”
Baker further stated, “It doesn’t matter how many times she wears that ice-blue Badgley Mischka cape dress. The DeSantises will never be Camelot.” The article also insinuated that Casey was attempting to replicate Mrs. Trump’s infamous ‘I really don’t care. Do U’ jacket.
The piece faced widespread condemnation for its misogynistic nature and triggered outrage among DeSantis’s supporters and several conservative personalities on Twitter.
One of the critics, conservative attorney Heath Mayor, described the article as “disgusting” and denounced it as an example of “the ugly underbelly of politics.” Mayo’s sentiments found support from Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who preemptively endorsed DeSantis for the 2024 presidential election. “Dear crazy folks – please keep writing attack stories about my fellow cancer-survivor and great American, @CaseyDeSantis,” Roy said on Monday.
Dear crazy folks – please keep writing attack stories about my fellow cancer-survivor and great American, @CaseyDeSantis. – Thank you. – Regular America #AmericanComeback
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) June 5, 2023
Tomi Lahren, a Fox News conservative host and commentator, dismissed the opinion article as “ridiculous” and criticized anti-DeSantis Republicans who spew the nickname against Mrs. DeSantis on Twitter.
This is ridiculous. @MELANIATRUMP is beautiful and so is @CaseyDeSantis and the fact some on the right are going along with this “Walmart Melania” pile on, is not a good look. Who needs Liberals when some Conservatives are willing to stoop that low. #smh
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) June 5, 2023
Giancarlo Sopo, founder of Visto Media and a political analyst, echoed Lahren’s sentiments and responded, “I know the mainstream media mean this as some sort of insult, but: 1) Wal-Mart is a great store where millions of Americans shop. 2) Casey is great. 3) She will make a great First Lady.”
Another Twitter user championed the Florida governor for his consistent criticism of the media. “You understand why Desantis treats the media the way he does?” the user said. “This isn’t some chess game or ratings game to him. He means it. He’s not doing townhalls with those who slander and insult him and his wife.”
