White House claims DeSantis is 'attacking young kids and their parents' by saying Florida is 'where woke goes to die'

During Friday’s White House press conference, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed that by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declaring that "Florida is where woke goes to die" in a speech earlier that day, he was "attacking young kids and parents."

"Here’s what I have to say. When Republicans, extreme Republicans, these MAGA Republicans don’t agree with an issue or with policy, they don’t bring forth something that’s going to either have a good faith conversation, they go to this conversation of woke," said Jean-Pierre.

Jean-Pierre said that this turns into "despicable policy, and it’s just not the way we’re going to move forward. 

"This is not protecting freedoms," she continued. "This is not having a good faith conversation on how we can move the country forward. This is about attacking. We’re talking about attacking young kids and their parents because of how they view themselves, because of how they want to live.

"Kids and their parents. What does that have to do with anything about being woke? That is just hate and it is shameful. It is shameful and we’re going to call it out. And like I said, the President is going to continue to say we have the back of that community or any vulnerable community," she concluded.

DeSantis made the statement in Iowa on Friday, during the Freedom Blueprint Event in which the Florida governor spoke alongside Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds.

While DeSantis has yet to declare whether he will run for president in 2024, his stop in Iowa was noteworthy, with the state holding the first caucus of the election, less than one year away from Friday.