Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who boasts that his state is “where woke goes to die,∏ admitted on Tuesday that “not everyone really knows what wokeness is” and even many of those constantly “who rail against” it “can’t even define it.” In the hopes of rebooting his floundering 2024 campaign, DeSantis left the cozy confines of conservative media and agreed to a rare interview with CNN. At one point, Jake Tapper pressed DeSantis on his claims that “woke ideology” is to blame for the military’s recent recruitment struggles, noting that a recent survey of potential recruits found that “wokeness” was “relatively low on the list of barriers to service.” DeSantis, who has made the “war on woke” the cornerstone of his White House run, shrugged off the results. “Not everyone really knows what wokeness is,” he said. “I mean, I’ve defined it, but a lotta people who rail against wokeness can’t even define it.” After saying it’s more of a sense that the military’s not “holding true to the core martial values” that makes it unique, DeSantis then suggested diversity policies have resulted in “watered down” standards in military promotions. Republican operatives, meanwhile, have long urged DeSantis to “chill” on his anti-woke crusade, saying he has spent “way too much time on the culture wars” that don’t appeal to a broader electorate.
