- In January, DeSantis appointed Yenor, who was quickly elected to serve as chairman of the university board. Yenor has faced a backlash because of what Fine and other Jewish lawmakers have alleged were anti-Semitic comments. Also, he has faced criticism for comments about women.
In 2021, Yenor drew criticism for calling working women “more medicated, meddlesome and quarrelsome than women need to be.” Additional questions were raised last month when Yenor posted a series of tweets involving the nomination of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth that were interpreted as questioning whether Senate Democrats were in their position because of “identity politics.”
“He has been a champion for the types of reforms at universities that we need,” DeSantis said of Yenor. “Trying to dredge up statements and, quite frankly, distorting things. I mean, (Yenor’s) been attacked for being a Zionist and being too pro-Israel. I think all these things are very flimsy.”
The governor also said Yenor will “be somebody that will be a champion for the classical mission of a university. He will fight the indoctrination and really be part of the solution going forward. I’m not somebody that’s just going to let someone be out there and be unfairly maligned.”
ATTACKING FINE
“How on Earth this idiot got appointed to be on the Board of Trustees of a university is a question worth considering,” Fine said. “We as a Legislature should be taking every bit of power away from this person that we can.”
On Wednesday, the governor went after Sen. Fine. “And let’s just consider the source. I mean, that same senator (Fine) called me anti-Semitic – the guy that went and did a Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, the guy that signed antisemitism legislation, the guy that has led the fight against BDS … and all these things, the guy that’s helped with all the money for security of Jewish day schools, the guy that’s done universal school choice.
“So, I think that that’s just misplaced criticism. I think it’s part of a separate political agenda (and) I’m not somebody that’s just going to let someone be out there and be unfairly maligned by distorting all this stuff. … I don’t think he’s antisemitic at all, and I think we’ve got to get beyond trying to … smear people based on mischaracterization or bad-faith interpretations of what they’ve done.”
However, Florida Politics could not find any proof that Sen. Fine ever called the governor anti-semitic.
- Fine texted Florida Politics: “Ron DeSantis is deflecting legitimate criticism of his poor judgment because he can’t defend his abhorrent choice. I’ve never called Ron DeSantis an antisemite; by falsely accusing me of doing so, he raises real questions about whether he actually is one.”
UWF ALUMS UNITE
UWF alumni are trying to build a community coalition to hold a town meeting in support of University of West Florida President Martha Saunders and the school.
Several women are helping organize that effort – women who are educated and have contributed to several worthwhile projects in the community. Republicans, Democrats and Independents.
Stay tuned.