Republican presidential hopeful Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) criticized the U.S. Justice Department’s (DOJ) “zealous” prosecution of former President Donald Trump after news broke that federal prosecutors indicted Trump. 

In a brief statement, DeSantis discussed the “mortal threat to a free society” that the “weaponization of federal law enforcement represents.”

“We have for years witnessed an uneven application of the law depending upon political affiliation,” DeSantis added. “Why so zealous in pursuing Trump yet so passive about Hillary or Hunter?”

He then promised to “bring accountability to the DOJ” if elected president.

“The DeSantis administration will bring accountability to the DOJ, excise political bias, and end weaponization once and for all,” DeSantis concluded.

Trump’s indictment arises out of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into the former president’s handling of White House documents, some of which were found during the raid on Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

Trump revealed on Thursday evening that U.S. Department of Justice attorneys told his legal team Trump was indicted as part of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s handling of White House documents.

Trump will have to appear at the federal courthouse in Miami on Tuesday afternoon to start the federal criminal proceedings agains him.

“Page 2: I have been summoned to appear at the Federal Courthouse in Miami on Tuesday, at 3 PM,” Trump posted. 

“I never thought it possible that such a thing could happen to a former President of the United States, who received far more votes than any sitting President in the History of our Country, and is currently leading, by far, all Candidates, both Democrat and Republican, in Polls of the 2024 Presidential Election. I AM AN INNOCENT MAN,” he added.

When news the Manhattan district attorney’s office indictment against Trump was imminent broke in March, critics accused DeSantis of displaying “weakness” in his initial statement. 

As Breitbart News reported at the time:

“I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I do know this: The Manhattan district attorney is a Soros-funded prosecutor,” DeSantis said, proceeding to slam Bragg’s lack of priorities in his jurisdiction, as crime runs rampant throughout the city. These Soros-backed prosecutors, he continued, “weaponize their office to impose a political agenda on society at the expense of the rule of law and public safety,” which is “fundamentally wrong.”

However, DeSantis appeared to dismiss the entire narrative, telling reporters that he has “real issues” to focus on in the Sunshine State.

“We are not involved in this [and] won’t be involved in this,” DeSantis said, reiterating that he has “no interest in getting involved in some type of manufactured circus by some Soros DA.”

“So DeSantis thinks that Dems weaponizing the law to indict President Trump is a ‘manufactured circus’ & isn’t a ‘real issue,’ Donald Trump Jr. said of DeSantis, then added, “Pure weakness.”

Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.