Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has called for one standard of justice in the country and criticized the weaponization of the power of the state against factions it does not like. DeSantis made these comments at a party convention in Greensboro, North Carolina.[0] He also questioned whether there was a different standard for a Democrat secretary of state versus a former Republican president, referring to the recent indictment of former President Donald Trump for mishandling classified documents.[1] DeSantis further suggested that if he were in the Navy and had taken classified documents to his home, he would have been court-martialed in a New York minute.[2]
DeSantis, who announced his candidacy for president, has been careful not to alienate Trump’s supporters while challenging him for the Republican nomination.[3] He criticized the weaponization of federal law enforcement and political bias following the news of Trump’s indictment.[4] A day later, at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, DeSantis called for the end of the weaponization of law enforcement.[5]
DeSantis apparently aims to dismantle the Civil Rights Division, a relatively progressive element of federal law enforcement that has imposed consent decrees on racist and discriminatory police departments throughout the nation.[6] He described the mission of the Civil Rights Division during his presidency as one where the agency “is actually policing discrimination.” That division would be truly colorblind, the governor said, because “discrimination is discrimination,” adding that he did not think it was acceptable to discriminate against individuals who “happen to be white or Asian.”
DeSantis has also echoed Trump’s critiques of Hunter Biden and the “weaponization” of federal agencies.[5] A video posted by the pro-DeSantis super PAC “Never Back Down” criticizes the Department of Justice for the indictment.[7] DeSantis has further criticized corporate America, government, and academia for wielding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in a discriminatory manner against other people. He said that there should be no tolerance for discrimination of all kinds, regardless of whether one is in the majority or minority.[8]
DeSantis has called for a more overtly revanchist Department of Justice, which would effectively turn the Civil Rights Division on its head.[6] This division typically focuses on areas such as protecting voting rights, preventing housing inequality, and investigating potential hate crimes.[9] DeSantis believes that the agency that combats bigotry should target those trying to end it.[10]
In conclusion, DeSantis has called for one standard of justice in the country and criticized the weaponization of the power of the state against factions it does not like. He has questioned whether there was a different standard for a Democrat secretary of state versus a former Republican president, referring to the recent indictment of former President Donald Trump for mishandling classified documents.[2] DeSantis has also echoed Trump’s critiques of Hunter Biden and the “weaponization” of federal agencies.[5] He has further criticized corporate America, government, and academia for wielding DEI in a discriminatory manner against other people. DeSantis has called for a more overtly revanchist Department of Justice, which would effectively turn the Civil Rights Division on its head.[6]
0. “DeSantis Opts Not To Take On Trump Over Secret Documents Indictment” HuffPost, 10 Jun. 2023, https://www.huffpost.com/entry/desantis-trump-documents_n_6483c652e4b04ee51a94b9ca
1. “DeSantis Hypocritically Complains About the Weaponization of State Power” Reason, 12 Jun. 2023, https://reason.com/2023/06/12/desantis-complains-about-the-weaponization-of-state-power-he-should-reexamine-his-own-record/
2. “Ron DeSantis: ‘I would’ve been court-martialed for taking classified documents'” The Telegraph, 10 Jun. 2023, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/06/10/trump-indictment-ron-desantis-classified-documents/
3. “DeSantis responds to Trump indictment with calls for FBI and DOJ ‘accountability'” Colorado Springs Gazette, 15 Jun. 2023, https://gazette.com/news/wex/desantis-responds-to-trump-indictment-with-calls-for-fbi-and-doj-accountability/article_55b469a6-defd-5a5a-b3bc-71ccdb2c6025.html
4. “DeSantis maintains low profile in Tallahassee as Trump faces high-profile day in court” Brunswick News, 13 Jun. 2023, https://thebrunswicknews.com/news/national_news/desantis-maintains-low-profile-in-tallahassee-as-trump-faces-high-profile-day-in-court/article_995cbbea-e397-5f79-befc-9fb1182e6e21.html
5. “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis indirectly condemns Trump indictment on campaign trail” CBS News, 11 Jun. 2023, https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ron-desantis-donald-trump-indictment-classifed-documents/
6. “DeSantis’ brain trust to weaponize DOJ includes torture memo lawyer and a pundit who recently blamed Black men for …” Media Matters for America, 14 Jun. 2023, https://www.mediamatters.org/ron-desantis/desantis-brain-trust-weaponize-doj-includes-torture-memo-lawyer-and-pundit-who
7. “DeSantis faces few good options on Trump indictment” The Hill, 15 Jun. 2023, https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4050361-desantis-faces-few-good-options-on-trump-indictment/
8. “‘We are going to end weaponization’: DeSantis doubles down on mistrust of justice system” Miami Herald, 13 Jun. 2023, https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article276334886.html
9. “DeSantis wants to target DEI efforts as president” MSNBC, 15 Jun. 2023, https://www.msnbc.com/the-reidout/reidout-blog/desantis-doj-dei-diversity-equity-inclusion-rcna89346
10. “Could Trump Be Pardoned? Some 2024 Rivals Open To It—But Still Unclear If He Can Pardon Himself” Forbes, 14 Jun. 2023, https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisondurkee/2023/06/14/could-trump-be-pardoned-some-2024-rivals-open-to-it-but-still-unclear-if-he-can-pardon-himself/
