A.G. Gancarski
Gov. Ron DeSantis broke his silence on Donald Trump‘s legal troubles in Panama City ahead of what he called a “high-profile politicized prosecution.”
Trump blew up over the weekend after reports emerged that he might be arrested Tuesday. But in Panama City, the Governor was essentially agnostic to the whole story.
DeSantis struck a balance between condemning the expected indictment by District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a “George Soros prosecutor,” as spurious and political, while finding a way to drag Trump for “porn star hush money” allegedly paid to Stormy Daniels years ago.
“I’ve seen rumors swirl, I have not seen any facts yet. And so I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I do know this: 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,” DeSantis contended, before eventually shivving Trump as well.
“You’re talking about this situation, 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 can’t speak to that,” DeSantis said, before pivoting back to Bragg’s backing by Soros.
“But what I can speak to is that if you have a prosecutor who is ignoring crimes happening every single day in his jurisdiction, and he chooses to go back many, many years ago, to try to use something about porn star hush money payments. You know, that’s an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office. And I think that’s fundamentally wrong.”
DeSantis also addressed a potential role by his administration in a possible Trump arrest, which could happen at Mar-a-Lago, saying his team would not be “involved in it in any way.”
“I have no interest in getting involved in some type of manufactured circus by some Soros DA, okay? He’s trying to do a political spectacle. He’s trying to virtue signal for his base. I’ve got real issues,” DeSantis said.
Trump has urged his supporters to make their opposition known, including a call to action in a Saturday post to Truth Social.
“IT’S TIME!!!” he wrote. “WE JUST CAN’T ALLOW THIS ANYMORE. THEY’RE KILLING OUR NATION AS WE SIT BACK & WATCH. WE MUST SAVE AMERICA! PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!”
The Associated Press reports the grand jury has been hearing from former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, who claims he orchestrated payments in 2016 to two women to silence them about sexual encounters with the former President.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
4 comments
It's Complicated
March 20, 2023 at 12:35 pm
The interesting thing about this case is the Trump team are not claiming no hush money was paid. Everyone pretty much takes it for granted that hush money was paid, and if it is not to conceal a crime or to bribe a public official, I’m don’t think it is illegal. It is a sadly typical, ‘neither party admits wrongdoing… consideration ($) is given to the claimant… both parties agree to remain silent on the matter,’ sort of settlement. Certainly it is unsavory.
The question is whether this Manhattan DA should advance an untested prosecutorial theory on a high profile case, particularly when it smacks of politics. I’ve read the timeline and overview of events, and I’m not seeing a crime.
M. Mouse
March 20, 2023 at 1:03 pm
DeSantis: “But I do know this: the Manhattan District Attorney is a Soros-funded prosecutor.”
George Soros legally donated money to the election campaigns of District Attorneys nationwide. And yes, Soros is a liberal, and for that he is not liked by many people. He’s also a Jew, and for that he is not liked by many people. Sounds like DeSantis is tip-toeing into the sewer on this one. I wonder if he likes the feel of it.
I for one don’t like to feel sewer water on my little feet, nor do I like it when people track it around the way DeSantis is doing.
Woke forever and ever
March 21, 2023 at 7:58 am
Ronduh Santos has no business diminishing the reputation of a New York prosecutor based upon specious claims, period. He is, sadly, the Governor of Florida. Nor does Ronduh have any business commenting on the alleged crimes of Don Tramp in New York. Ronduh should be working on real problems of real Floridians, such as the property insurance crises, high poverty rate, red tide, etc. Ironically, Ronduh puts on his cheerleader suit whenever Ashley Moody files some BS legal action such as trying to the the SCOTUS to overturn a legitimate Presidential election. Go figure.
Lex
March 21, 2023 at 2:22 pm
I hope Desantis will reconsider. Republicans should protect one another. From what I have been told the potential indictment has no legal merit. Florida fighting extradition would be amazing.
Or in the alternative, find a DA to charge Joe Biden of something, so that both sides see that political witch hunts are not a good idea. I’m tired of the abuse of the legal system, but I am more tired of one side getting away with it.
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