Following news that a New York grand jury had indicted former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced that his state would not be assisting with any extradition request.
In a tweet on Thursday evening after the indictment was announced, the Florida governor condemned the “weaponization of the legal system” against Democrats’ chief political rival.
“The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head. It is un-American,” he tweeted.
“The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct,” DeSantis added. “Yet, now he is stretching the law to target a political opponent. Florida will not assist in an extradition request given the questionable circumstances at issue with this Soros-backed Manhattan prosecutor and his political agenda.”
The weaponization of the legal system to advance a political agenda turns the rule of law on its head.
It is un-American.
The Soros-backed Manhattan District Attorney has consistently bent the law to downgrade felonies and to excuse criminal misconduct. Yet, now he is…
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) March 30, 2023
The news of the indictment came in a Thursday report from the New York Times, who noted that the action was related to Trump’s supposed role in paying hush money to former porn star Stormy Daniels.
“The felony indictment, filed under seal by the Manhattan district attorney’s office, will likely be announced in the coming days,” the report stated, adding that prosecutors from District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office “will have asked Mr. Trump to surrender and to face arraignment on charges that remain unknown for now.”
Trump also responded to the news in a post on Truth Social, arguing that the indictment was “Political Persecution and Election Interference at the highest level in history.”
He went on to point out that Bragg was funded by Democrat megadonor George Soros, calling the leftist district attorney a “disgrace.”
Podcast host Liz Wheeler also called out Bragg’s Soros connections in a tweet, while also pointing out that the Democrat district attorney has been soft on crime other than his consistent attempts to charge Trump, and noting that the FEC had previously decided not to pursue the same charges against Trump.
“DA Alvin Bragg is funded by Soros. Bragg downgraded 52% of felonies in 2022 to misdemeanors. A federal prosecutor & the FEC passed on Trump’s case bc it’s a nothing burger. But Bragg elevates it to a felony charge against a former POTUS. Blatant political targeting,” she wrote.
DA Alvin Bragg is funded by Soros.
Bragg downgraded 52% of felonies in 2022 to misdemeanors.
A federal prosecutor & the FEC passed on Trump’s case bc it’s a nothing burger.
But Bragg elevates it to a felony charge against a former POTUS.
Blatant political targeting.
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) March 30, 2023
Meanwhile, DeSantis also commented on the potential indictment last week.
“The Manhattan district attorney is a Soros-funded prosecutor, and so he, like other Soros-funded prosecutors, they weaponize their office to impose a political agenda on society at the expense of the rule of law and public safety,” he said.
The Florida governor was called out for part of his remarks, during which he appeared to smear Trump by stating: “And so you’re talking about this situation with, and like, I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair — I just I can’t speak to that.”
