Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican presidential contender, criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis for his handling of the Florida Board of Education’s new standards for teaching African American history in schools. Christie accused DeSantis of starting a fire with the bill he signed and then refusing to take responsibility for the consequences.
The new history standards in Florida, approved by the board, include teaching that some Black people benefited from slavery because it taught them valuable skills. These updates were mandated by a 2022 law called the “Stop Wrongs To Our Kids and Employees Act,” also known as the “Stop WOKE Act.”
Vice President Kamala Harris condemned the new standards as an attempt by extremist leaders to spread propaganda. DeSantis responded by accusing Harris and other Democrats of lying about the educational standards to advance their agenda. He dismissed Harris’ reaction as “absolutely ridiculous” and “totally outrageous.”
When asked about the curriculum change, DeSantis distanced himself from it, stating that he wasn’t involved. He suggested that the curriculum would highlight how enslaved people eventually utilized skills like blacksmithing to improve their lives.
Chris Christie criticized DeSantis’ response, stating that his words were not indicative of leadership. Christie pointed out that if this issue were truly important to DeSantis, he had four years as governor to address it but only started focusing on it when he decided to run for president.
Christie has been actively attacking DeSantis and other candidates in the GOP race. During a recent town hall event in South Carolina, Christie took aim at President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and specific contenders such as DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott, and former Gov. Nikki Haley.
Please note that the response from DeSantis’ campaign could not be obtained at the time of this article.