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DeSantis slams Manhattan DA in first remarks on potential Trump indictment
The Hill ^ | March 20, 2023 | Max Greenwood

Posted on 03/20/2023 8:28:21 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) weighed in Monday on Donald Trump’s possible criminal indictment in New York, breaking a two-day long silence on the former president’s claim that he will be arrested this week.

Asked about the rumored indictment during an event, DeSantis lambasted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office is investigating hush money paid to a porn star on Trump’s behalf during his 2016 campaign, calling him a “Soros-funded prosecutor” and accusing him of “weaponizing” his office.

“I’ve seen rumors swirl. I have not seen any facts yet, and so I don’t know what’s going to happen,” said DeSantis, a likely 2024 Republican presidential hopeful. “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 didn’t mention Trump by name, choosing instead to grill Bragg over his approach to crime in New York City, though he drew a laugh from the audience when he quipped that he doesn’t “know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair.”

“But what I can speak to is 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, that’s an example of pursuing a political agenda and weaponizing the office,” he said.

Still, DeSantis also noted that his office would not be involved in the case “in any way,” signaling that he has no plans to help Trump fight extradition to New York should he face charges.

The remarks were DeSantis’s first on the potential indictment since Trump claimed in a Saturday post on his social media site that he would be arrested on Tuesday and urged his supporters to protest any possible criminal charges against him.

DeSantis’s initial silence on the matter kicked off a pressure campaign by Trump’s allies, who raised questions about why the Florida governor hadn’t chimed in on the former president’s claims.

Other current and prospective Republican presidential candidates, including former Vice President Mike Pence and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, came out in defense of Trump over the weekend, casting Bragg’s investigation as politically motivated.

Ramaswamy specifically sought to pressure DeSantis and former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, one of the few declared Republican presidential candidates, to condemn Bragg’s “political persecution through prosecution” of Trump.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Florida; US: New York
KEYWORDS: alvinbragg; bragggate; desantis; donatefreerepublic; dumbndumbertrolls; election2024; florida; georgesoros; hushmoney; indictment; newyork; nyc; persecution; remarks; rondesantis; soros; sorosfunded; stormydaniels; trump
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To: SoConPubbie
"and profess his loyalty and endorsement of President Trump"

My G-d. You people are unhinged. You want every republican to make loyalty pledges to Trump. You don't actually want the democratic process to take place. You want a monarch who goes through the motions of an election. You belong in Russia, not here.

41 posted on 03/20/2023 9:01:38 AM PDT by thefactor
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To: thefactor
I cannot trust a person who is running a shadow campaign. Saint Desantis isn't. Even on my radar demonstrating leadership. President Trump is better off without any help from this want-a-be..
42 posted on 03/20/2023 9:02:27 AM PDT by Just mythoughts (Psalm 2. Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?)
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To: thefactor

what video


43 posted on 03/20/2023 9:02:30 AM PDT by one guy in new jersey
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To: NorthMountain

DeSantis attack on Bragg, was pretty much equal to his trashing Trump.


44 posted on 03/20/2023 9:02:31 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up..)
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To: DouglasKC
Still, DeSantis also noted that his office would not be involved in the case “in any way,” signaling that he has no plans to help Trump fight extradition to New York should he face charges.

In order to be extradited, DeSantis would have to get involved-he would likely have to personally sign the warrant. To me this indicates that he would not be helping New York, which helps Trump.

45 posted on 03/20/2023 9:04:20 AM PDT by Repealthe17thAmendment
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To: thefactor

No Bill O’Reilly, you’re the clown. The contextualizing is bull crap. His main message in his statement was to say as many times as he could “Trump and porn star”. And he had to be shamed into saying anything.

Clearly NOT a leader.


46 posted on 03/20/2023 9:05:10 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up..)
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To: one guy in new jersey
"what video"

THE VIDEO OF DESANTIS MAKING HIS STATEMENT! He's making a mockery of the entire case. He's chastising the DA for even bringing it. He's not bashing Trump, he's bashing the DA for this nonsensical case! GO WATCH THE VIDEO BEFORE MAKING JUDGEMENTS!

47 posted on 03/20/2023 9:05:30 AM PDT by thefactor
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To: FreeReign

well he hasn’t done anything yet ...


48 posted on 03/20/2023 9:06:08 AM PDT by bankwalker (Repeal the 19th ...)
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To: DesertRhino

Lol. OK, DesertRINO.


49 posted on 03/20/2023 9:06:27 AM PDT by thefactor
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To: DouglasKC

signaling? kinda subjective ...


50 posted on 03/20/2023 9:07:11 AM PDT by bankwalker (Repeal the 19th ...)
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To: Trumpisourlastchance

was he indicted?


51 posted on 03/20/2023 9:07:58 AM PDT by bankwalker (Repeal the 19th ...)
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To: NorthMountain

Ah, President Trump made his money…by creating wealth. Something very few lawyers ever actually do.. billing hours is a far cry from employing thousands….


52 posted on 03/20/2023 9:08:32 AM PDT by Just mythoughts (Psalm 2. Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?)
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To: thefactor

Met any good loofahs lately?


53 posted on 03/20/2023 9:08:39 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up..)
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To: thefactor

and Jim is baffled by the reduced donations ...


54 posted on 03/20/2023 9:08:55 AM PDT by bankwalker (Repeal the 19th ...)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

“ when he quipped that he doesn’t “know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair.”

But he knows what it’s like to drink beer and party with high school girls when he’s the teacher.


55 posted on 03/20/2023 9:09:32 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up..)
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To: thefactor
"and profess his loyalty and endorsement of President Trump"

My G-d. You people are unhinged. You want every republican to make loyalty pledges to Trump. You don't actually want the democratic process to take place. You want a monarch who goes through the motions of an election. You belong in Russia, not here.


Do the math "theFactor".

Did President Trump's endorsement make DeSantis Governor or not?

Should any normal person, seeking to be the leader of the Free World and of this constitutional Republic we are part of, speak out against the blatant abuse of power as is being shown by the Manhattan D.A. in order to keep President Trump from running for POTUS? Shouldn't someone who is supposed to be a leader lead immediately instead of putting his "finger-in-the-wind" and waiting for his campaign advisors to give him the OK to speak on this subject?

I don't care about any other potential contenders except Nikki Haley and DeSanctimonious.

What I care about is the lack of Loyalty, and the fact that DeSantis is nothing but a Pale Pastel copy of President Trump without the mean tweets and that the GOP-E and Deep State have lined up behind DeSantis against President Trump.

Couple that with his utter and complete lack of authenticity and lack of leadership in this scenario, and DeSantis is a no go for me.

Your refusal to talk about that, and your continual deceitful out-of-context, distorted comments about President Trump and his record just tells me you are a troll.
56 posted on 03/20/2023 9:09:38 AM PDT by SoConPubbie (Mitt and Obama: They're the same poison, just a different potency)
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To: thefactor

My name involves being in the military, and an interesting story with a rhinoceros in the desert. On the other hand Bill, you never served.


57 posted on 03/20/2023 9:10:39 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up..)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

His statement was talking out of both sides of his mouth written by some damn consultant, TYPICAL GOPe!!!


58 posted on 03/20/2023 9:12:04 AM PDT by Trump Girl Kit Cat (Yosemite Sam raising hell)
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To: Just mythoughts

The economic activity of a lawyer is known as rent seeking. The economic activity of a government lawyer is welfare rent seeking. Lawyers do not create wealth. They do nothing productive.


59 posted on 03/20/2023 9:12:17 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up..)
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To: canuck_conservative

He should never have paid Daniels anything. He would have weathered that “storm” (no pun intended) without putting himself in the middle of a blackmail scheme. Do I still support Trump? Yes. Do I always agree with his words or actions? No.


60 posted on 03/20/2023 9:12:30 AM PDT by JoJo354 (We need to get to work, Conservatives!)
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