Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Alvin Bragg Jr. Manhattan prosecutors have filed charges against former President Donald Trump, preventing him from using Trump’s name in speeches.
“Now his whole platform since he was elected district attorney in Manhattan was that he was going to reduce as many felonies to misdemeanors as possible,” DeSantis said at an event in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
“It would have kept most people out of prison, even habitual criminals. And it would have cleared up all those things as part of, quote, criminal justice reform,” DeSantis added. “So that’s his position. He doesn’t want to charge people with crimes. So now he’s turning around for purely political purposes and impeaching a former president for crimes that they’re trying to make criminal.”
DeSantis, Trump’s potential opponent in the Republican primary, was apparently referring to Bragg’s successful prosecution of Trump last week, though the Florida governor declined to name any individuals.
DESANTIS EXPOSES MANHATTAN DA BRAGG’S TRUMP ‘FLIMSY’ SPEECH AT NEW YORK SPEECH: AGENDA ‘NOT THE RULE OF LAW’
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, left, and former President Donald Trump (Paul Hennessy / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images / File | Win McNamee / Getty Images / File)
DeSantis said the indictment is an example of the law being “weaponized for political purposes” by the left, who are using it as “targets of political opponents.”
“I can say this: These (billionaire George) Soros-backed DAs are a menace to society,” DeSantis continued. “They are a threat to the rule of law. And I’m proud to say that when we had one of those days in Tampa, he said he wasn’t going to enforce some of the laws that were duly elected and enacted in the state. In Florida, we didn’t let that stop. I removed him from office, and he’s out.” .
DeSantis struck a similar tone in another speech on Saturday in Long Island, New York, again appearing to defend Trump without using his name.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (Octavio Jones/Getty Images/File)
THE INDICTMENT HAS GIVEN TRUMP A POLITICAL BOOST, BUT SOME GOP OPERATIVES WONDER HOW LONG IT CAN LAST.
“His whole thing is that he doesn’t want people in prison, he wants to bring them down to felonies … And then he turns around, he makes a weak indictment of a former president of the United States,” DeSantis said. Bragg, according to the New York Post.
Trump is set to appear in New York on Tuesday in a lawsuit over alleged “money” payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images/File)
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DeSantis’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News’ request for comment.
Michael Lee is a writer for Fox News. Follow him on Twitter @UAMichaelLee