Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is facing backlash after commenting on the latest indictment against former President Donald Trump, admittedly without reading it first.
Unlike his somewhat aloof and sarcastic reaction to Trump’s indictment at the hands of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, DeSantis opted to react quickly to the news of Special Counsel Jack Smith announcing that a grand jury in Washington, D.C., had indicted Trump on charges relating to the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“As President, I will end the weaponization of government, replace the FBI Director, and ensure a single standard of justice for all Americans,” DeSantis said in the statement posted to social media, admitting that he had not read the indictment.
“While I’ve seen reports, I have not read the indictment. I do, though, believe we need to enact reforms so that Americans have the right to remove cases from Washington, DC to their home districts,” he said, describing Washington, D.C., as a “swamp” and concluding that it is “unfair to have to stand trial before a jury that is reflective of the swamp mentality.”
“One of the reasons our country is in decline is the politicization of the rule of law. No more excuses—I will end the weaponization of the federal government,” he added.
However, many on both sides of the political aisle quickly criticized DeSantis’s response.
“‘While I’ve seen reports, I have not read the indictment.’ Come on man. This is soulless legalese. Take a fucking stand and have some passion,” author, filmmaker, and highly followed conservative social influencer Mike Cernovich remarked, as others expressed similar sentiments.
“’While I’ve seen reports, I have not read the indictment’ – sir, the indictment dropped 15 mins *before* you tweeted this. This boilerplate statement doesn’t cut it,” Zachery Henry, the deputy communications director for Vivek Ramaswamy, remarked.
“Had a chance to read this BS from the regime trying to interfere in the election by removing your number one political opponent on sham charges (for the third time) yet?” Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington wrote.
“Give me a break. How do you beat the deep state if your goals are the same as theirs?” she asked as more piled on.
DeSantis is not the only Republican to offer what many consider to be a lackluster response to the third indictment. Former Vice President Mike Pence used the opportunity to make the case for Trump not to be president, even suggesting that Trump placed himself above the Constitution.
Trump thanked Americans for their support on Wednesday in the wake of the continued targeted harassment, concluding the indictment “HAS AWOKEN THE WORLD TO THE CORRUPTION, SCANDAL, & FAILURE THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.”
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