Ron DeSantis dodges question of how Donald Trump arrest has affected White House hopes

Ron DeSantis continues to be asked about Donald Trump’s indictment and arrest, and Friday saw the question placed more pointedly than before.

In Ocala, the Governor was asked how the former President’s legal woes affected his nascent presidential campaign, but new insights were not forthcoming in his first in-state remarks since Trump’s arrest in Manhattan Tuesday.

“It’s affected me in the sense that it’s reinforced this problem we have in our country where we have the political left weaponizing the rule of law, actually abandoning the rule of law by weaponizing it and using it against people they don’t like. And that needs to stop in this country,” DeSantis said.

“And, you got the guy in Manhattan. But honestly, he’s one of maybe a dozen or more across the country that get elected on an ideological agenda, usually with funding from people like George Soros and they come in and they’re trying to manipulate the law in order to advance a political agenda.”

DeSantis then continued explaining his view of the proper role of prosecutors.

“That’s not the role of a prosecutor, the role of the prosecutor is to apply the law evenhandedly and fairly,” he said. “And so which we’ve seen across the country, they’ve abandoned prosecuting really significant crimes, letting criminals roam the streets, crime has gone up.”

He added: “It’s all about trying to use the levers of power to advance a political agenda,” which he contends is “just fundamentally wrong.”

He offered similar comments in Michigan Thursday, discussing “alarm about the growing trend of prosecutors elected in left-wing jurisdictions” who may be “targeting a politician they don’t like.” Just as was the case Friday, DeSantis did not mention the former President by name at the Midland County Republican Party Spring Breakfast.

Before the former President’s arrest Tuesday, DeSantis struggled with messaging about the indictment.

“Even if it’s true, it’s only a misdemeanor,” DeSantis said in Long Island Tuesday.

In his first comments on the subject, the Governor disparaged alleged “hush money to porn stars,” but retired that talking point entirely in the wake of criticism.

The Governor’s messaging difficulty comes as polls show Trump consolidating support in the GOP presidential race at his expense.

A series of national polls after last week’s indictment show Trump leading DeSantis by upwards of 30 points. Trump’s own pollster says it’s “very clear” Republicans are breaking toward the former President at DeSantis’ expense.