Liberals erupt on Ron DeSantis for remarks about basketball players: 'Disgustingly racist trope'

GOP presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantis gives his take on education policy, Gov. Gavin Newsom's criticism, U.S. response to China and COVID-19 policy on 'Fox News Tonight.'

Some left-wing outlets and even a national sports columnist accused Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, R., of racism for his remarks this week about basketball players, while his defenders said the outcry was absurd.

DeSantis was asked about his love of baseball in a recent interview, which he praised as a "meritocratic" game where people of different sizes and skill levels can perform well at various positions, contrasting it with basketball.

"I think that there's kind of a place for everybody in a baseball team if you're willing to work hard, if you're willing to practice… I kind of thought it was always a very democratic game, a very meritocratic game," he told CBN. 

"Whereas I kind of viewed basketball as like 'these guys are just freaks of nature.' They're just incredible athletes. In baseball, you know, you have some guys that might not necessarily be the best athletes, but maybe they've got you know that slider that nobody can hit, or they have the skills that allow them to compete at the highest level."

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The remarks by DeSantis, who played baseball at Yale, went viral and lit a fire in liberal media, who saw a racist dog whistle against the NBA and its predominantly Black players. 

USA Today columnist Mike Freeman declared DeSantis guilty of pushing "racist tropes" and an "attempt to appeal to the worst instincts of some of his followers." He assumed DeSantis meant Black basketball players didn't work hard.

"DeSantis was essentially talking about two leagues,