The globalist elites thought they had another state tourism official in their back pocket.
They were about to get a rude awakening from the Sunshine State.
And Florida’s tourism chief delivered two words to the World Economic Forum that left globalists stunned.
The World Economic Forum sent what they probably thought was a routine invitation to Florida’s tourism agency.
These people are used to government officials jumping at the chance to rub elbows with the global elite in places like Davos, Switzerland.
But Bryan Griffin wasn’t having any of it.
Griffin exposes the World Economic Forum’s real agenda
Griffin serves as President and CEO of VISIT Florida, the state’s tourism agency, and he’s also a longtime ally of Governor Ron DeSantis.
When the WEF invited him to their upcoming Urban Transportation Summit in San Francisco, Griffin didn’t just politely decline.
He torched their entire operation in his response.
"I’m going to decline participation," Griffin wrote back to the globalist organization. "The World Economic Forum’s values and stated objectives do not align with the State of Florida, including the WEF’s efforts to transform society through top-down government regulations and institute dangerous programs like digital IDs and Centralized Bank Digital Currencies."¹
https://twitter.com/BryanDGriffin/status/1973451933190074377
Griffin then delivered the knockout punch with a line that perfectly captures Florida’s approach to dealing with these international busybodies.
"We choose the values of Destin and Dunedin over Davos," Griffin declared. "Individual liberty and national sovereignty matter and should be protected."¹
The timing of this rejection isn’t coincidental.
These global elites have been pushing their agenda harder than ever, using climate change and "urban transformation" as cover for policies that would strip away individual freedoms.
Florida has been leading the fight against globalist overreach
Griffin’s response didn’t happen in a vacuum.
Florida has been methodically building defenses against exactly the kind of policies the World Economic Forum promotes.
Back in 2023, Governor DeSantis successfully pushed legislation through the state legislature to ban Central Bank Digital Currencies within Florida’s Uniform Commercial Code.
"I am here to call on the legislature to pass legislation to expressly forbid the use of CBDC as money," DeSantis said at a press conference in Panama City.²
The Governor understood something that many politicians still don’t get – CBDCs aren’t about convenience or modernizing the financial system.
They’re about control.
Florida Republican Representative Byron Donalds spelled out the real danger during a congressional session this past July.
"CBDCs would enable the Federal Reserve to examine and monitor all stablecoin transactions in the United States," Donalds warned. "I’m opposed, and the Republican Conference is opposed."³
The World Economic Forum’s true agenda gets exposed
The World Economic Forum has been playing this game for years.
These people know exactly how to package their agenda to make it sound reasonable.
Their website describes them as "the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation" that provides a "global, impartial and not-for-profit platform for meaningful connection between stakeholders."⁴
That sounds harmless enough until you realize what "public-private cooperation" actually means in practice.
What that really means is unelected bureaucrats team up with multinational corporations to ram through policies without bothering with that pesky democratic process.
And those Digital IDs and Central Bank Digital Currencies they keep pushing?
They’re about creating a system where every transaction you make, every place you go, and every choice you make can be monitored and controlled by people you never voted for.
Griffin saw right through their sales pitch and called them out publicly.
The WEF’s invitation talked about bringing together "senior decision-makers from across sectors to address how cities and destinations can adapt to rapid demographic, technological, and environmental change."⁵
Translation: Let’s figure out how to use climate change as an excuse to control how people live, work, and travel.
Florida shows other states how it’s done
Griffin just taught every other state official a master class in backbone.
The smart money says more states will start following Florida’s lead.
Florida said no thanks.
They’re not interested in transforming their cities according to some globalist blueprint designed in Switzerland.
The values of Destin and Dunedin – that’s American communities built by American families who understand freedom – matter more than the approval of Davos elites who’ve never had to live under the policies they promote.
Other state officials should take notes.
The next time one of these international organizations comes calling with their invitations and their fancy conferences, maybe they should ask themselves a simple question: Are we serving the people who elected us, or are we serving the global elite who want to reshape America according to their vision?
Griffin already knows the answer to that question.
And the World Economic Forum just found out that Florida isn’t interested in playing their game.
¹ Alex Nitzberg, "Florida tourism chief rejects World Economic Forum summit invitation: ‘I’m going to decline’," Fox News, October 3, 2025.
² Alex Schneider, "Florida rejects World Economic Forum invitation due to stark opposition to globalist policies," Florida News, October 2, 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Alex Nitzberg, "Florida tourism chief rejects World Economic Forum summit invitation: ‘I’m going to decline’," Fox News, October 3, 2025.
⁵ Ibid.
