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Attorney General Ashley Moody is urging other states to follow Florida’s example and “send help” to Arizona and Texas as they deal with border issues.
In comments made Thursday on the Fox Business Network’s “Mornings with Maria,” the first-term Republican AG slammed the Joe Biden administration for “chaos” at the U.S./Mexican border.
“Understand what’s going on here,” Moody thundered. “You have a Biden administration that has taken a wrecking ball to any sort of control or infrastructure at that border, and then throwing up their arms and abdicating any responsibility for dealing with the aftermath.”
“You have Governors in these border states sending out calls for emergency help,” she added. “Florida is the first state to step up and say ‘look, we are sending folks to help control this chaos that is created solely due to the actions or inaction of the Biden administration.'”
“We’re doing it not only to help protect America. We’re doing it to stop and stem the tide of violence and drugs into our state of Florida,” Moody said.
The high dudgeon continued throughout the interview, with Moody “furious” at “the abdication of any responsibility by the Biden administration.”
“As a mother, it terrifies me,” Moody added, citing an increase in sexual offenders, meth, and fentanyl.
“I implore other states to follow the lead of Florida and send help,” Moody pleaded.
That help is intended to fill a federal void.
Moody has filed a legal action to get the Biden administration to resume deportations, as was the case under President Donald Trump. Nothing has come out of that yet, however.
“They’re opening up the gates, rolling out the welcome mat to criminals, and saying you don’t have to leave,” Moody complained. “It’s absurd.”
The AG also criticized Vice President Kamala Harris‘ recent trip to Latin America to investigate root causes.
“The plan is not to send someone to Guatemala to beg them not to come,” the tough-talking AG said.
“I would say to the Biden Administration: Look how we lead in Florida,” Moody advised. “That’s strategic leading.”
Those comments echo what Moody said Wednesday in Pensacola as the plan was rolled out.
“This is what real leadership looks like,” Moody said, referring to the latest in a series of Biden-baiting decisions from Gov. Ron DeSantis. “Leadership is not sending someone down there to beg people not to come.”
No deployment from Florida has happened yet, but state leaders made multijurisdictional commitments. The Florida Highway Patrol, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission and several sheriffs’ offices have already agreed to send reinforcements.
It is uncertain how many FTEs will ultimately make the trip.