Florida Governor and possible 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis recently spoke at the North Carolina Republican Party Convention in Greensboro, where he criticized what he called the uneven application of the law based on political affiliation.[0] Specifically, he questioned whether there was a different standard for a Democrat Secretary of State compared to a former Republican President, calling for one standard of justice to be enforced on everybody.[1] DeSantis also mused about what would have happened to him if he had taken classified documents to his apartment while serving as a naval officer, stating that he would have been court-martialed in a New York minute, in a reference to former President Trump’s hometown.[2]
DeSantis also promised to fire FBI chief Christopher Wray as one of his first acts as President if elected, while suggesting that if Trump had been charged with crimes, then Hillary Clinton should have also faced charges.[3] He further criticized what he called the weaponization of federal law enforcement, which he believes represents a mortal threat to a free society.[4] DeSantis has been careful to walk a delicate line in challenging Trump for the Republican party’s 2024 presidential nomination while not alienating the former President’s base.[1]
DeSantis has been critical of the recent indictment of Trump on charges related to mishandling classified documents, calling it a weaponization of federal law enforcement and political bias.[5] He also noted what he believes is a double standard between Trump and former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.[6] Meanwhile, some other Republican 2024 hopefuls have taken different stances on whether they would pardon Trump if elected. Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has led the charge for Trump to be pardoned, stating that he would pardon Trump if elected and calling on every other candidate to commit to pardoning Trump as well, while Asa Hutchinson has criticized such calls for a pardon as offensive.[7]
If DeSantis becomes President and sends the Justice Department after DEI programs, it would effectively turn the department’s Civil Rights Division on its head.[8] The department generally concentrates on safeguarding voting privileges, stopping discrimination in housing, and probing possible hate-related offenses.[8] DeSantis seems to be seeking a shift towards a more overtly retaliatory DOJ by dismantling the Civil Rights Division, a federal law enforcement component that has taken action against racist and discriminatory police departments across the country through the imposition of consent decrees.[9]
Overall, DeSantis’s remarks at the North Carolina Republican Party Convention reflect his belief that there needs to be one standard of justice in the country and that the power of the state should not be weaponized against factions that it doesn’t like.[4] However, some critics have pointed out that DeSantis himself has flouted this injunction in the past and that he owes it to the people whose vote he’s asking for to model good behavior himself, regardless of political affiliation.
0. “Ron DeSantis Silent Over Pardoning Trump While Other GOP Rivals Back Him” Newsweek, 14 Jun. 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-pardon-donald-trump-classified-documents-1806597
1. “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/
2. “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/
3. “DeSantis will FIRE FBI chief Christoper Wray if elected President slams DoJ for indicting Trump” Daily Mail, 10 Jun. 2023, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12180103/DeSantis-FIRE-FBI-chief-Christoper-Wray-elected-president-slams-DoJ-indicting-Trump.html
4. “Donald Trump unmoved by Ron DeSantis’ support amid latest indictment” Florida Politics, 12 Jun. 2023, https://floridapolitics.com/archives/617982-indictment-trump-ron/
5. “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
6. “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/
7. “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/
8. “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
9. “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
