DeSantis Defends Trump After Latest Criminal Indictment, Vows Action

Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis said during an interview on Tuesday that as President of the United States, he will clean house at the FBI and Department of Justice following a series of investigations that have been criticized as being politically motivated.

DeSantis made the remarks during an interview on CNN with host Jake Tapper when asked about the former president saying earlier in the day that he has received a letter informing him that he is the target in an investigation into his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

“If Jack Smith has evidence of criminality, should Donald Trump be held accountable?” Tapper asked.

“So, here’s the problem. This country is going down the road of criminalizing political differences,” DeSantis responded. “I think that’s wrong. Alvin Bragg stretched the statute in Manhattan to be able to try to target Donald Trump. Most people, even people on the Left, acknowledge if that wasn’t Trump, that case would not have likely been brought against a normal civilian.”

“And so you have a situation where the Department of Justice, FBI had been weaponized against people they don’t like, and the number one example that happened to be against Donald Trump with the Russia collusion,” he said. “That was not a legitimate investigation; that was being done to try to drive Trump out of office. And so what I’ve said, as president, my job is to restore a single standard of justice to end weaponization of these agencies.”

“We’re going to have a new FBI director on day one; we’re going to have big changes at the Department of Justice,” he added. “Americans across the political spectrum need to have confidence that what is going on is based on the rule of law, not based on what political tribe you’re in.”

DeSantis said that he hopes Trump does not get charged, but at the same time, people need to start “to focus on looking forward.”

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WATCH:

DeSantis on possible Jan 6 Trump indictment: “I hope he doesn’t get charged.” pic.twitter.com/N6mamIJbGc

— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 18, 2023