Florida Governor Ron DeSantis revealed part of his 2024 campaign strategy that included attacking former President Donald Trump’s crime record — prompting the former president’s campaign team to name Florida governor as a labeled “fake”.
DeSantis took aim at the GOP frontrunner on several steps he made as president that were bipartisan and praised by the black community regarding criminal justice reform.
Specifically, he went after the First Step Act of 2018, a bipartisan bill signed into law by Trump along the lines of so-called “penal justice reform” and prisoner rehabilitation.
DeSantis promised to withdraw the bill which he described as “basically a jailbreak law” that has “let dangerous people out of jail who have now offended some people again and really, really hurt them.”
DeSantis runs to Trump’s right on crime. He wants to repeal the First Step Act signed by Trump in 2018. It was the brainchild of Jared Kushner and Koch-backed policymakers like Brooke Rollins, who now directs Trump’s America First Policy Institute.
In 2019, Tucker… pic.twitter.com/kyv0vFGygY
— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) May 27, 2023
RELATED: Trump announces plan to fight crime — Record investment in police officers, return of stop-and-frisk policy
Team Trump hits back at DeSantis’ Attacks on Crime
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung fired back at DeSantis for his attacks on the First Step Act, according to Axios, pointing out that as a congressman he had voted on an earlier version of the legislation.
“He sounds just like John Kerry,” Cheung said. “What a fake.”
Cheung later posted a tweet calling the GOP challenger “Lyin’ Ron”.
However, the original bill had significant differences, enough that dozens of Republicans who supported it switched votes when the final product was presented, while conversely, none of the Democrats voted for the original, but 57 had supported the final product.
DeSantis resigned his seat in the House before voting on the final bill.
Fact check: DeSantis did NOT vote for the final version of the First Step Act (passed December 2018) that Trump signed. The final bill was MUCH more liberal than the original.
I’m sure of it @FrankLuntz know this. Why deceive? https://t.co/KWDOxjZAXI pic.twitter.com/fWwSDCJdYW
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) May 26, 2023
As president, Trump was a staunch supporter of prison reform. He supported The First Step Act, condemned reform, and hosted a Prison Reform Summit where he sought input from more than 100 activists, experts, and policymakers. He also pardoned Alice Marie Johnson, demonstrating his sincerity on the matter.
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ actor Isaiah Washington publicly praised Trump for the First Step Act, explaining that the bill was the first step to “end mass incarceration” while described the hill it as a major bipartisan victory for the then president.
Times have certainly changed since then, and certainly since the George Floyd riots in the summer of 2020.
Some of those released early since this bill passed have committed another offense, including at least one who was later accused of murder.
Lying Ron.
He voted for the First Step Act.
It would be a shame if there was a video of him praising it in an interview with a local FL television station… pic.twitter.com/t9vP1XMSMi
— Steven Cheung (@TheStevenCheung) May 26, 2023
RELATED: DeSantis-backed bill that would allow the death penalty for child molesters
Trump’s plan to fight crime
Earlier this year, Trump announced a seven-point plan to combat rising crime in America, including a “record” investment in police officers and a return to preventive arrest and search measures.
He posted a campaign video accusing President Biden and the “Defund the Police” Democrats of turning American cities “into cesspools of bloodshed and crime.”
“As police forces have been eroded by the Democrats’ war on the police, I will sign a record investment in hiring, retaining and training police officers across the country,” Trump announced.
In his plan to fight rising crime, Trump adds that police funding will be tied to practices that show the department is serious about implementing strict enforcement of laws.
“I will urge local jurisdictions to return to proven common sense policing measures such as stop and frisk…strictly enforcing existing gun laws against convicted felons, cracking down on the open use of illegal drugs, and working with ICE to keep criminal aliens off our streets and get them out of our country.”
His plan calls for DOJ investigations against “radical Marxist prosecutors” who fail to enforce laws based on race.
Busy. Trump is calling for record investment in hiring, training and retaining police officers to end lawlessness and chaos in our cities and tackle crime.
Specific:
– Death penalty for drug dealers.
– Federal resources to take down criminal gangs.— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) April 25, 2023
DeSantis’ crime platform also includes support for a bill that would allow the death penalty for child molesters, as he has done in Florida. He has described the bill imposing the stricter death penalty standard as the “only appropriate punishment” for such crimes.
The latest polls show Trump leading DeSantis across the board in every major category, including a 26-point lead on crime.
NBC/YouGov Poll: Who do you think could handle the job better…? (N=359 R voters)
The economy:
Trump — 61% (+48)
De Santis — 13%Foreign policy
Trump — 59% (+44)
The Santis — 15%Immigration
Trump — 56% (+44)
De Santis — 12%Crime
Trump — 42% (+26)
De Santis — 16%Best… pic.twitter.com/6izdkZhCv9
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) May 30, 2023
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