Hurd Publicly Criticizes DeSantis for Florida Standards’ Stance on Slavery
Former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, both Republican presidential hopefuls, have spoken out against a line in Florida’s new social studies standards that implies there was an upside to slavery. Hurd criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for defending the benchmark clarification, stating that slavery was not a jobs program and there is no upside to it. On the other hand, DeSantis defended the workgroup that wrote the standards, accusing DC Republicans of accepting false narratives and lies. Two of the people who wrote the standards, Lt. Col. Frances Presley Rice and scholar William Allen, defended their positions, emphasizing that the point was not that slavery was beneficial but that former slaves overcame obstacles and used their skills to improve their lives. Hurd also criticized former President Donald Trump, accusing him of being a liar and a national security threat. He argued that Trump was trying to hide information and tamper with evidence. Hurd has not qualified for the August round of Republican National Committee debates.
