Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is experiencing blowback in conservative circles over remarks that were deemed to be a half-hearted defense against President Donald Trump’s impending arrest.
Speaking Monday, the governor took shots at Trump over a $130,000 hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, remarks that were called “sanctimonious” by Fox and Friends weekend co-host Pete Hegseth.
“I was actually disappointed in Ron DeSantis today. He talked about the political persecution. But he started with a too-cute, half-political jab at Trump by saying, ‘I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star’ and the donors kind of chuckled.
“In some ways it felt sanctimonious. It felt like a Jeb Bush, sort of Scott Walker cheap shot. I don’t think that’s going to work. This is a close-ranks behind a former President who fought for America first, and as a selective political persecution from a DA funded by [George] Soros,” Hegseth said.
WATCH:
Fox News’ @PeteHegseth: I was disappointed in Ron DeSantis today… he started with a too cute by half political jab at Trump. The donors kind of chuckle—in some ways it felt sanctimonious. It felt like a Jeb Bush, Scott Walker cheap shot. pic.twitter.com/tu3zoTCMsB
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) March 21, 2023
DeSantis’s veiled criticism of his future presidential rival distracted from a press conference that otherwise toed the party line in expressing disgust for the Manhattan district attorney’s handling of the case against President Trump. Early on, DeSantis knocked DA Alvin Bragg as funded by liberal billionaire George Soros and “weaponizes [his] office to impose a political agenda.” He added that Bragg has downgraded the majority of felonies to misdemeanors on his watch, an approach that’s vice versa with the case against Trump.
WATCH:
Florida Gov. DeSantis on claims former Pres. Trump will be arrested Tuesday:
“The Manhattan DA is a Soros-funded prosecutor; he, like other Soros-funded prosecutors, weaponize their office to impose a political agenda at the expense of the rule of pic.twitter.com/v9Y6bgtGtV… https://t.co/Kr6UBZVj2X
— Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) March 20, 2023
Governor DeSantis has faced fierce attacks from MAGA diehards who have threatened to hold him accountable if President Trump is physically arrested at his residence in Florida. The president’s supporters online have demanded DeSantis construct a “Patriot Moat” around Mar-A-Lago to prevent authorities from entering. Others have suggested that DeSantis has the power to prevent an extradition of Trump to New York if he is ultimately required to appear in-person for some of the proceedings.
Bragg, the Manhattan DA, is seeking to charge Trump with obscuring a settlement payment made to Ms. Daniels days before the 2016 president election. Prosecutors will be relying heavily on testimony from Michael Cohen, the president’s former attorney who served prison time for a tax avoidance scheme.
