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DeSantis seeks review of Florida's holdings in Bud Light maker over transgender influencer backlash

Presidential candidate and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking for an investigation of the state's investments in the company that makes Bud Light because of conservative backlash over a transgender social media influencer marketing the beverage

Via AP news wire
Friday 21 July 2023 23:20 BST
Election 2024 Desantis
Election 2024 Desantis (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

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Presidential candidate and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis wants Florida to investigate its investments in the company that makes Bud Light because of conservative backlash over a transgender social media influencer marketing the beverage.

DeSantis said Thursday in a letter to the State Board of Administration that ā€œall options are on the tableā€ in its response to Dylan Mulvaney's Instagram post of a video of her opening a Bud Light with her face on the can.

The governor said that due to the the backlash over the post, Anheuser-Busch InBev has suffered sales losses that could affect state investments. He added that the beer manufacturer's ā€œradical social ideologiesā€ have turned Bud Light into a ā€œsocial pariahā€ and losses have been ā€œstaggering.ā€

DeSantis has previously made headlines by battling Walt Disney World over its opposition to a Florida law banning discussion of gender identity and sexuality orientation in schools, and has targeted other companies that promote social issues that donā€™t match his beliefs.

DeSantis, who sits on the adminstration board, asked its executive director, Lamar Taylor, to review the stateā€™s holdings, questioning whether they violate Florida law, and suggested a shareholder action may be needed against the company.

ā€œWe must prudently manage the funds of Floridaā€™s hardworking law enforcement officers, teachers, firefighters and first responders in a manner that focuses on growing returns, not subsidizing an ideological agenda through woke virtue signaling,ā€ DeSantis wrote.

Anheuser-Busch InBev didnā€™t immediately respond to an email requesting comment.

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