“A cruel, despicable man” – Martina Navratilova condemns Florida governor Ron DeSantis for rejecting food aid for low-income family children

Martina Navratilova has called Florida governor Ron DeSantis “a cruel, despicable man” for opting out of a federal program that would have provided $120 to help feed low-income children during the summer. Florida was among 15 states that opted out of the Summer EBT (Electronic Benefit Transfer) program, a Congress-approved initiative aimed at assisting children who rely on free and reduced-price school lunches during summer breaks.

This lack of participation from the state implies that approximately 2.1 million eligible children’s families will miss out on additional assistance for grocery expenses.According to Cindy Huddleston, a senior policy analyst at the Florida Policy Institute, the program’s overall economic and social benefits would have far surpassed the administrative costs.

Huddleston estimated Florida’s loss in economic impact at $388 million to $466 million, emphasizing the positive impact on the local economy that the program could have had (via Miami Herald).An X (formerly Twitter) user shared the article exposing the state’s decision.
“This is one of the myriad of reasons why I am celebrating Ron DeSantis political dead-end..” the user wrote.

Navratilova, who is known for her outspoken views on social and political issues, quoted the user’s tweet and criticized DeSantis for his lack of compassion and leadership.
“Our governor, Ron DeSantis, is a cruel, despicable man,” Navratilova wrote.