Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has come under criticism from one of his state’s representatives for his refusal to actively prevent the extradition of former President Donald Trump to Manhattan.
The move comes after the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, who is reportedly funded by George Soros, announced that charges against Trump were imminent.
Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz (R) accused Gov. DeSantis of neglecting his duty to protect his constituents from political persecution by not standing up against the extradition process, National File reports.
Speaking to News Nation on Wednesday, Rep. Gaetz argued that failing to do so “puts every Floridian at risk” of being falsely accused by blue city prosecutors.
Gaetz went on to say that he would not allow any Floridian to be “hauled before some Soros-backed prosecutor in some blue city over politics” and that he would make no exception when it came to protecting the former U.S. President.
He suggested that DeSantis should be “standing in the breach” and preventing any extradition of Trump, himself a Floridian, from the State of Florida.
The Florida representative also criticized DeSantis for mocking the charges against Trump, saying that “it was a bit uncouth” for the Governor to “take a jab at the former President.”
He argued that there was a role for the Governor of Florida to play in protecting the state and pushing back against the “Sorosization of the criminal justice system.”
DeSantis has previously stated that he would not intervene in the extradition process, citing the lack of evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Trump, National Files notes.
The former President has denied any wrongdoing, even accusing Bragg of being politically motivated in his pursuit of charges.
Gaetz argued that DeSantis needed to understand the nature of the fight against the false and persistent allegations being made against Trump.
“I know Ron DeSantis well, he’s a friend, but he hasn’t been the target of false and persistent allegations like President Trump has and so I don’t think he really understands the nature of this fight right now,” Gaetz said.
