Scott Powers
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist Thursday again denounced Gov. Ron DeSantis for not condemning Russia’s war on Ukraine or making statements of support for Ukraine.
Crist, a former Governor who currently serves in the U.S. House, charged that DeSantis is putting his partisan political ambitions ahead of supporting democracy. Crist argued DeSantis’ failure to sufficiently weigh-in is “unacceptable and unpatriotic.”
He also criticized DeSantis for not making moves to divest Florida investments from Russian assets, something first urged by Crist’s Democratic Primary Election opponent, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.
“It’s been a week since Russia’s bloody and unjust invasion of Ukraine began. A week of opportunities for Gov. DeSantis to make clear where he stands. It shouldn’t be hard,” Crist said.
There was no immediate response from DeSantis’ re-election campaign.
Crist has repeatedly taunted DeSantis to speak out against Russia’s invasion and in support of Ukraine.
The Governor was publicly mum on the Russian invasion of Ukraine until Monday, when he ridiculed Russian President Vladimir Putin, applauded the “moxie” of Ukrainians, blamed President Joe Biden, and praised former President Donald Trump. That came on the fifth day of Russia’s war.
However, in neither that statement nor follow-up statements in other news conferences has DeSantis condemned the war, nor offered any messages of solidarity to Ukraine.
On Monday, he quipped that Putin was nothing more than an “authoritarian gas station attendant” with nuclear weapons. On Wednesday, he argued France would offer no resistance to a Russian ground invasion such as the one in Ukraine.
His official spokesperson dismissed the need for any statements on Russia or Ukraine, noting the invasion of Ukraine does not affect Florida the way events in China, Cuba or Venezuela do.
DeSantis has also given no indication he wants to divest Florida’s state government money invested with Russian corporations, as Fried had urged last week. The State Board of Administration indicated last week that Florida holds approximately $300 million in Russian-domiciled investments.
Nor has DeSantis responded to Crist’s previous taunt, to light up the Sunshine Skyway or some other edifice in Ukraine’s colors of blue and yellow, as many governments are doing to show solidarity with Ukraine.
“Our nation has put partisanship aside to condemn Vladimir Putin, embrace the Ukrainian people, and ensure Russia pays a steep price for its aggression. But Gov. DeSantis has failed,” Crist said. “He’s failed to stand with the Ukrainian people. He’s failed to get tough on Putin.
“Instead of standing with our Ukrainian brothers and sisters, he has cracked jokes about Russia and our allies. Instead of divesting Florida from Russian investments, he says he’s going to keep our taxpayer dollars in Russian hands. Instead of calling out this attack on democracy, he’s giving Putin a pass. It’s unacceptable and unpatriotic,” Crist said.
9 comments
Lynda
March 3, 2022 at 2:39 pm
Charlie Crist will get my vote for being assertive with deSantis.
Florida’s Cuban population should be strongly supportive of the Ukraine people in their fight against Putin’s control. The generation that fled Cuba should be especially loud in their support of attacks on a tyrant whose ways they know well. The Republicans praising Putin are all Republican trumpests and don’t deserve a vote from a community which knows better than most the costs of giving into a bully who wants to control Ukraine. The world has turned against Putin; Florida voters (especially the Republican voters) need to show which side they are on: democracy or authoritarianism.
Martucci
March 3, 2022 at 2:59 pm
Crist taunting reminds me of the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail; where the french nights taunt the english nights, saying: we shall sneeze in your general direction….
After November Charlie will soon fade into never-land where he belongs
Antonio
March 3, 2022 at 3:22 pm
How does making a statement on Ukraine help Florida?
This is silly…
John Dunbar
March 3, 2022 at 3:54 pm
Disgusting that Crist would call Gov. Desantis unpatriotic! Gov. Desantis served our nation in Iraq and Gitmo. Did Crist ever serve in the military? No.
And it is certainly not unpatriotic to believe, as I and many others do, that America should have nothing to do with the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Those peoples have a very interesting long history, going way back to Russia’s Prince Vladmir being baptized in Kiev, but I see no reason why the US should have a major role in the next chapter of their history.
These people calling us unpatriotic are the same ones who called folks unpatriotic for being against the Iraq war and the Afghanistan war.
margaret
March 5, 2022 at 12:25 pm
DeSantis served as a lawer in Iraq. He didn’t tote an assault rifle or allow himself to be exposed to any real danger. He is a performative governor, not a real governor. Full of sound and fury, and signifying nothing.
Tom
March 4, 2022 at 6:21 am
Crist is political garbage, has been Camillion.
The only one taunting is from FP like Powers.
Crist should be asking Biden to do more.
What a joke, nothing story.
Ocean Joe
March 5, 2022 at 8:35 am
The delay by Desantis, is because like any good Republican, his loyalty to Donald Trump comes first, and he had to wait while Trump, a guy Bolton claims wanted to pull us out of NATO in a second term, got finished glorifying Putin and telling the world what a genius and how brilliant he was for invading an independent country.
It’s not convenient at this time to disagree with Trump, just like his prissy conniption fit the other day when he realized his photo op presser in Hillsborough which he hopes rednecks in the Iowa caususes will see, was going to be ruined by having kids on camera wearing masks behind him.
Timothy Schomburg
March 6, 2022 at 3:39 pm
Simple solution since some dislike DeSantis and Some here dislike Crist Vote Nikki Fried!
Andrew Finn
March 6, 2022 at 10:53 pm
GO CHARLIE GO !!!!!!!!!!!! You can beat that jackass in November !!!!!!!!!!!! If you run – you have my vote. This comes from a life-long Republican who can’t wait to see Emperor DeSantis gone !!!!!!!!!!!!
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