Reporter gets called out after hot mic catches her saying her job is to make Gov. Ron DeSantis 'uncomfortable'



A Florida journalist was caught on a hot mic Tuesday saying that her job is to make Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis feel "uncomfortable."

First Coast News reporter Atyia Collins was heard on a livestream telling someone at a DeSantis event in Jacksonville that her job is not about finding the truth, but about making DeSantis "uncomfortable."

"My job is to ask the tough questions and make him uncomfortable," Collins said.

The reporter was later heard telling a purported media colleague that one of her managers instructed her to "just run up to him" after an event and "just yell questions at him," seemingly to fluster DeSantis and capture shareable content. She expressed doubt that such tactics would be successful.

"He already doesn't like the media," Collins observed.

\u201cFor reference, this is the journactivist today:\u201d
— Christina Pushaw \ud83d\udc0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Christina Pushaw \ud83d\udc0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1676395893

Christina Pushaw, rapid response director for DeSantis, later called out Collins, whom Pushaw described as a "journactivist."

"A journalist's job is to tell the truth. Of course, speaking truth to power can make the powerful uncomfortable, but 'discomfort' shouldn't be the goal — the goal should be revealing the truth," Pushaw explained. "Pushing biased narratives with the express goal to create discomfort isn't journalism."

Was DeSantis made uncomfortable?

If Collins' goal was to make DeSantis feel uncomfortable, she failed.

At the press conference, she asked DeSantis about a viral video that showed empty bookshelves at one Duval County school. The video was used to advance a narrative that DeSantis' government has instituted "book bans."

"That was a fake narrative. That [video] was not true," DeSantis responded.

"This is trying to create some narrative as if that they hadn't even put the books out yet to begin with. So there's no need for all of that stuff. What they're trying to do is they're trying to act like somehow, you know, we don't want books," he continued.

He went on to explain, "You hear people talk about felony charges. Understand, nothing we've done since I've been governor has done any of that. Now, there is longstanding Florida law that prohibits an adult from giving a school child pornography. Don’t we think that’s inappropriate to do? But that’s been a law for a long time."

\u201cGov. DeSantis refutes false media narrative about "book bans": \n\n"Florida law prohibits an adult from giving a school child pornography...that's been the law for a long time. So understand, they're talking about long standing Florida law that's trying to protect young children."\u201d
— DeSantis War Room \ud83d\udc0a (@DeSantis War Room \ud83d\udc0a) 1676394930

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Politico Florida bureau chief mocked for saying DeSantis team makes relationship with media 'worse' by sharing screenshots of reporter questions



Politico's Florida bureau chief Matt Dixon told the outlet during an interview that Gov. Ron DeSantis' communications team has made its relationship with the media "worse" by publicly sharing screenshots of journalists' questions.

"Calling them confrontational does a disservice to the word confrontational. Under DeSantis, the institution of public communications has been upended. It previously was an area that always had some healthy tension between reporters and communications staff, but now the creation of tension is the point, as opposed to an occasional byproduct," Dixon said, according to Politico.

"DeSantis' communications team has openly boasted about how it's not their job to help members of the media, and are well known for taking screenshots of reporter questions and posting them on Twitter, a habit that only makes the relationship worse. Stories that they disagree with often end up as standalone headlines on right-wing websites or Fox News, and then will be endlessly retweeted and circulated by the community of Twitter trolls they have helped cultivate," he added.

Christina Pushaw, who resigned from her role as DeSantis' press secretary last year to serve as rapid response director for his campaign, mocked Dixon's comments: "Politico? More like PolitiCOPE," she tweeted. "Matt Dixon should cry more," she wrote in another tweet.

\u201cPolitico? More like PolitiCOPE \ud83d\ude02\u201d
— Christina Pushaw \ud83d\udc0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Christina Pushaw \ud83d\udc0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1675214557

Current DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin also mocked Politico, tweeting in response to Pushaw's post, "BREAKING: @politico tells @politico that @politico isn't treated nicely enough because @politico sends emails that @politico doesn't want the world to see."

"Is this 'crying more?'" Dixon wrote when retweeting a Twitchy story about his comments and the resulting mockery. "I'm often told to do it by many of the people in this story, but not exactly sure how it works."

\u201cIs this "crying more?"\n\nI'm often told to do it by many of the people in this story, but not exactly sure how it works.\u201d
— Matt Dixon (@Matt Dixon) 1675290125

Last week, Griffin posted a screenshot of a loaded request for comment from CNN.com's John Blake.

"I'm requesting a response from Gov. DeSantis or anyone from his office to an article I am writing about Gov. DeSantis decision to block the teaching of an high school Advanced Placement course on African American history course in Florida," Blake wrote, according to the image in Griffin's tweet. "I've talked to one of the nation's leading scholars on fascism who, along with another scholar who is an authority on fascism, say that DeSantis' decision echoes similar decisions made by fascist dictators to force what one historian calls 'collective amnesia' about the past."

\u201cResponse:\u201d
— Bryan Griffin (@Bryan Griffin) 1674834347

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'Now, the gloves are off': Christina Pushaw resigns from role as press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and joins the DeSantis re-election campaign



Christina Pushaw has resigned from her job as press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and will now work as the rapid response director for the conservative Republican governor's re-election campaign.

"For the last 15 months, I have been blessed to work with the most dedicated and talented public servants in the country, inspired by the Governor's courage, leadership, and bold agenda," Pushaw wrote in a resignation letter. "I thank Governor DeSantis, Chief of Staff James Uthmeier, and Communications Director Taryn Fenske for entrusting me with this responsibility. You gave me latitude to respond to media narratives in direct and often unconventional ways, allowing me to redefine this role for a leader whose actions speak for themselves."

\u201cNow, the gloves are off \ud83d\ude2c\u201d
— Christina Pushaw \ud83d\udc0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Christina Pushaw \ud83d\udc0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1660315989

Pushaw told the Daily Wire that she will begin her new role on Monday, and that it will entail "communications and research."

Bryan Griffin, who has been serving as DeSantis's deputy press secretary, will now take on the press secretary job.

"It has been an honor to work with and learn from @ChristinaPushaw," Griffin tweeted. "I look forward to serving @GovRonDeSantis and the people of Florida in this new role. Like Christina did so well, I will ensure the governor's message is amplified and that false narratives are debunked."

DeSantis, who has become an immensely popular figure on the political right, is currently seeking re-election during the Sunshine State's gubernatorial election contest.

U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried are the most prominent candidates running in the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary. Earlier this year, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) endorsed Crist.

Crist previously served as governor of Florida from early 2007 through early 2011 — he won the governorship as a Republican, then later lost a U.S. Senate bid while running as an independent in 2010. In 2014 Crist lost a Florida gubernatorial election while running as a Democrat.

"Now, the gloves are off," Pushaw tweeted regarding her job shift. Pushaw, who is known for being an outspoken critic of the media, told the Daily Wire that the comment was a bit "tongue-in-cheek," pointing out that she does not generally hold back when responding to the media.

"Traditionally for a state employee, you don’t have a lot of latitude," Pushaw said, according to the outlet. "But I've been really fortunate to have that latitude to respond, to debunk those false narratives for more than a year that I've been here."

"By the way, for the past 15 months, I have really enjoyed working with the reporters who truly want to get the facts and report fairly on Florida and @GovRonDeSantis," Pushaw tweeted. "On here I call out the bad, but there are still some good ones… and I see you."

\u201cBy the way, for the past 15 months, I have really enjoyed working with the reporters who truly want to get the facts and report fairly on Florida and @GovRonDeSantis. On here I call out the bad, but there are still some good ones\u2026 and I see you \ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udc95\u201d
— Christina Pushaw \ud83d\udc0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Christina Pushaw \ud83d\udc0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1660327198

‘The Gloves Are Off’: Christina Pushaw Resigns To Join DeSantis Campaign

'The gloves are off'

'Prepare for the liberal media meltdown of the year': DeSantis press secretary says 'MAJOR announcement' coming from the Florida governor, but it's nothing 'campaign related'



Christina Pushaw, the press secretary for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, announced in a tweet on Wednesday night that there will be a "MAJOR announcement" on Thursday morning.

"MAJOR announcement tomorrow morning from @GovRonDeSantis," Pushaw tweeted. "Prepare for the liberal media meltdown of the year," she added. "Everyone get some rest tonight."

\u201cMAJOR announcement tomorrow morning from @GovRonDeSantis. \n\nPrepare for the liberal media meltdown of the year \n\nEveryone get some rest tonight \ud83d\ude09 \ud83c\udf1a\u201d
— Christina Pushaw \ud83d\udc0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Christina Pushaw \ud83d\udc0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1659576757

DeSantis, who entered office in 2019, is currently seeking re-election in the Sunshine State's gubernatorial election contest.

The governor, who previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives, has become a tremendously popular figure on the political right. While Pushaw did not disclose details about the announcement, she did note that it "is an official announcement not a campaign one."

"He already announced he’s running for re-election as governor," Pushaw tweeted. "All I can say about the surprise announcement tomorrow is that it’s not about anything campaign related. It’s official business."

\u201cHe already announced he\u2019s running for re-election as governor \ud83d\ude00 All I can say about the surprise announcement tomorrow is that it\u2019s not about anything campaign related. It\u2019s official business\u201d
— Christina Pushaw \ud83d\udc0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Christina Pushaw \ud83d\udc0a \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1659577049

Democratic Rep. Charlie Crist and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Nikki Fried are vying for the chance to face off against DeSantis during the general election.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has endorsed Crist. "He'll be a champion for women's reproductive rights, create opportunities for small business owners, and always show empathy and compassion for our working families. It's a stark contrast to the current governor. Florida, you deserve better," Pelosi said in a video earlier this year.

On Tuesday, the governor issued a tweet listing the types of subjects that schools should, and should not, be teaching.

"As students head back to their classrooms this fall, I'm happy to clear up any 'confusion' the media may have about appropriate curriculum," he tweeted, listing the topics of "Math, Reading, Writing" as approved subjects, but critical race theory, "Sexualized Content," and "Transgender Ideology" as disapproved topics. "Florida schools will educate children, not indoctrinate them," the tweet added.

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