Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is hoping that former President Donald Trump would not face charges for his actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021 protest at the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.
DeSantis on possible Jan 6 Trump indictment: "I hope he doesn't get charged." pic.twitter.com/N6mamIJbGc
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 18, 2023
When he was asked in a recent interview on CNN about holding Trump accountable if evidence of criminality emerges from the investigation by Special Counsel Jack Smith, DeSantis highlighted his concerns about the growing trend of “criminalizing political differences” in the U.S.
Sharing concerns about the weaponization of agencies like the Department of Justice and the FBI against individuals they dislike, the GOP presidential candidate stated, “Alvin Bragg stretched a statute in Manhattan to target Donald Trump. Even people on the left acknowledge that wasn’t Trump, that case would not have likely been brought against a normal civilian.”
Pointing to the Russia collusion investigation against Trump, he said, “That was not a legitimate investigation. It was being done to try to drive Trump out of office.”
Moving on to tout himself as the best candidate in the presidential race, DeSantis pledged to restore a single standard of justice, bringing an end to the weaponization of agencies.
“We’ll have a new FBI director on day one. We’ll have big changes at the Department of Justice. Americans across the political spectrum need to have confidence that what is going on is based on the rule of law, not based on what political tribe you’re in,” he promised,
DeSantis also expressed his desire to shift the focus of the presidential election towards discussing the country’s future instead of dwelling on events that are of no relevance to the country’s current state.
“If I’m the nominee, we’ll be able to focus on President Biden’s failures. I’ll be able to articulate a positive vision for the future. I don’t think it serves us good to have a presidential election focused on what happened four years ago in January,” he said.
“So I want to focus on looking forward. I don’t want to look back,” he went on. “I don’t want to see him, I hope he doesn’t get charged. I don’t think he will get charged. I don’t think it will be good for the country. But I have to look forward and that is what we’re going to do.”
A formidable competition of Trump within the Republican party, DeSantis has had a lot to say about Trump in recent times amid his campaign. In Colombia, South Carolina on Tuesday, he suggested that Trump could have done more during the events surrounding the Capitol Hill protests.
DeSantis’ comments come after Trump revealed that he received a letter from Smith informing him that he’s being probed in the investigation into the Capitol protest by his supporters. He was reportedly given a four-day deadline to report to the grand jury, a requirement legal experts view as a crucial moment before potential indictment.
