Despite accusing the Department of Justice of being “weaponized” following the news that Donald Trump has been indicted on federal charges for mishandling classified documents, Ron DeSantis is once again being torn apart by his own party.
The Florida governor fired off a statement blasting the DOJ for unfairly targeting the former president and vowed that, if elected president, he would remove “political bias” from the country’s top law enforcement apparatus.
“The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society,” DeSantis tweeted. “We have for years witnessed an uneven application of the law depending upon political affiliation. Why so zealous in pursuing Trump yet so passive about Hillary or Hunter? The DeSantis administration will bring accountability to the DOJ, excise political bias and end weaponization once and for all.”
The weaponization of federal law enforcement represents a mortal threat to a free society.
We have for years witnessed an uneven application of the law depending upon political affiliation.
Why so zealous in pursuing Trump yet so passive about Hillary or Hunter?
The DeSantis…
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) June 9, 2023
If the statement to DeSantis was meant to be an olive branch to Trump voters, it didn’t work. The governor’s replies begin filling up with GOP infighting as MAGA voters accused DeSantis of capitalizing on the indictment to overtake Trump in the Republican primaries.
You can see some of the reactions below:
Using Trump’s indictment to push your campaign is exactly why millions of voters you need, won’t ever vote for you. Good luck.
— 𝕏𝕔hi𝘭𝘭iຖ໐iˢ (@chiIIum) June 9, 2023
Unlike you, lifelong Republican and former Trump Attorney General Bill Barr knows the law and understands what’s talking about: pic.twitter.com/mLO1SFMbnI
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) June 9, 2023
https://twitter.com/Isaiah545251391/status/1666988476078731266
The very first hour after the indictment story was released your campaign was bragging that you were closing in on Trump in Iowa this should have been said the very first hours you have lots of time to brag about losing in on Iowa but not today and you did it anyway
— Deborah Woods (@nocbc) June 9, 2023
Stop using this situation to benefit yourself. We all know how you really feel.
— Goldi2020 (@Carolann1954D) June 9, 2023
Weak and political response and then right into campaigning.
Keep up the good work @RonDeSantis
— MiaMaria (@kt5bd2) June 9, 2023
This is the second time this week that DeSantis has been called out by his own party. His campaign used AI images of Trump hugging Dr. Fauci in a recent ad, and it did not go over well with a Republican base that’s still intensely loyal to the former president.
“Smearing Donald Trump with fake AI images is completely unacceptable,” Senator J.D. Vance tweeted. “I’m not sharing them, but we’re in a new era. Be even more skeptical of what you see on the internet.”
(Via Ron DeSantis on Twitter)