‘Un-American’: DeSantis, Florida GOP rally in support of Trump after indictment

Gov. Ron DeSantis said on Thursday evening that the unprecedented case against former President Donald Trump for allegedly paying hush money to a porn star is “un-American” and driven by a Manhattan prosecutor’s political agenda.

“Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda,” DeSantis posted on Twitter, about an hour and a half after news of the indictment broke. Billionaire George Soros backs progressive and liberal causes and political candidates.

DeSantis, an expected rival of Trump’s for the 2024 presidential nomination, did not comment on the specific charges against Trump but was quick to join a united front of support for the former Republican president, as GOP leaders in Florida said they expect to see the GOP base come together in opposition to the indictment.

“I think this is going to really fuel a lot of Republicans to get even more involved as a result of what they probably look at as the unfair, unjust political persecution of the former president,” the former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, state Sen. Joe Gruters, told reporters in Tallahassee.

“I think all Republicans will come together,” Gruters added when asked what he expected to see from DeSantis.

A bit of a flip from DeSantis

DeSantis’ quick response on Trump’s charges is notable considering the political dilemma he faced just last week when he was first asked to comment on the looming prospect of an indictment. He tried to have it both ways — blasting the investigation by Manhattan’s Democratic district attorney, while also seeking to distance himself from the nature of the allegations.

“Look, I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair,” DeSantis said, amid laughter from some in the audience. “I can’t speak to that.”

Hours after the governor made the comments, DeSantis returned to the Governor’s Mansion and did a rare sit-down interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan, who works for the Rupert Murdoch-owned entertainment company.

In it, DeSantis defended his performance as governor, announced he was confident he could beat President Joe Biden, criticized Trump’s chaotic management style and continued to avoid a direct response to a potential Trump indictment.

He called the potential charges a “novel offense” that is “weaponizing the justice system.”

His responses have drawn the ire of Trump.

“Ron DeSanctimonious will probably find out about FALSE ACCUSATIONS & FAKE STORIES sometime in the future, as he gets older, wiser, and better known, when he’s unfairly and illegally attacked by a woman, even classmates that are ‘underage’ (or possibly a man!),” Trump wrote on his social media website. “I’m sure he will want to fight these misfits just like I do!’’

The handling of the matter on the first try underscores the political landmines DeSantis is likely to face if he joins Trump on the campaign trail. Some political observers have noted that it is too soon to know how Trump’s indictment will play out in the long run, and others wondered whether the issue could solidify DeSantis’ image as Trump without the baggage.

For now, Republicans in Florida are fully focused on defending Trump and lashing out at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

“Indicting a former U.S. president by a state attorney is very alarming and magnifies the corrupt nature of the far left Soros agenda,” said Miami state Sen. Ileana Garcia, the co-founder of Latinas for Trump.

Christian Ziegler, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, said the indictment is the result of how “the radical left has slowly and meticulously infiltrated key American institutions.”

“Today, we saw the results of their infiltration by a Soros-funded prosecutor weaponizing the justice system to indict a political opponent of the left and our former Republican president, @realDonaldTrump,” Ziegler posted on Twitter.

“The Manhattan DA has been desperate to charge President Trump with any crime from the start. The politicization of our criminal justice system is not acceptable,” RPOF Vice Chairman Evan Powers said.

Perspectives from South Florida

DeSantis echoed the same sentiment.

“The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head. It is un-American,” the governor tweeted. “The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is stretching the law to target a political opponent.”

David Custin, a Republican political consultant in the Miami area, said the Trump indictment will clearly mean a short-term boost for the former president with GOP voters.

But Custin sees a Trump prosecution as ultimately harmful to his chances against DeSantis if the Florida governor ends up seeking the 2024 Republican nomination — a campaign DeSantis has already signaled would focus on his electability as a candidate independent voters could trust.

“In the short term, Trump will get a boost because Republicans will see this as an abuse of a prosecutor’s power,” said Custin, whose clients include DeSantis’ lieutenant governor, Jeanette Nuñez of Miami.

In a primary fight between Trump and DeSantis, Custin said the indictment would ultimately help the Florida governor’s argument that he’s more likely to beat Joe Biden. “There will be dust settling,” he said. “Republicans will have to weigh between Trump and DeSantis and who is more likely to be electable in 2024.”

Mike Hernández, a Democratic communications consultant and a political commentator for NBC 6 in Miami, said the indictment puts DeSantis in an awkward spot of having to watch Trump bask in Republican outrage and once again dominate the news.

“I don’t think this helps any Republican candidate except for President Trump,” he said. “For President Trump, he relishes this.”

Miami Herald staff writers Douglas Hanks and Mary Ellen Klas contributed to this report.