Florida Governor Ron DeSantis revealed part of his 2024 campaign strategy, attacking former President Donald Trump’s record on crime – prompting the former President’s campaign team to slam the Florida governor as a “phony.”
DeSantis targeted the GOP frontrunner on several moves he made as President that were bipartisan and praised by the black community in regard to criminal justice reform.
Specifically, he went after the First Step Act of 2018, a bipartisan bill signed into law by Trump in the vein of so-called “criminal justice reform” and prisoner rehabilitation.
DeSantis vowed to repeal the bill that he described as “basically a jailbreak bill” that “has allowed dangerous people out of prison who have now re-offended, and really, really hurt a number of people.”
DeSantis is running to the right of Trump 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 policy people like Brooke Rollins, who now leads Trump’s America First Policy Institute.
In 2019, Tucker… pic.twitter.com/kyv0vFGygY
— Pedro L. Gonzalez (@emeriticus) May 27, 2023
Team Trump Hits Back at DeSantis’ Attacks on Crime
Trump spokesman Steven Cheung, according to Axios, fired back at DeSantis over his attacks on the First Step Act, pointing out that he, as a member of Congress, had voted on an earlier version of the legislation.
“He sounds just like John Kerry,” Cheung said. “What a phony.”
Cheung later posted a tweet calling the GOP challenger “Lyin’ Ron.”
The original bill, however, had significant differences, enough so that dozens of Republicans who supported it switched their votes upon presentation of the final product while conversely, no Democrats voted in favor of the original but 57 had supported the final product.
DeSantis resigned his House seat before voting on the final bill.
Fact Check: DeSantis did NOT vote for the final version of the First Step Act (passed in December 2018) that Trump signed. The final bill was FAR more liberal than the original.
I am sure @FrankLuntz knows this. Why mislead? https://t.co/KWDOxjZAXI pic.twitter.com/fWwSDCJdYW
— Christina Pushaw (@ChristinaPushaw) May 26, 2023
Trump was an avid advocate of prison reform as President. He supported The First Step Act, sentencing reforms, and hosted a Prison Reform Summit where he sought input from over 100 activists, experts, and policymakers. He also issued a pardon to Alice Marie Johnson, demonstrating his sincerity on the matter.
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ actor Isaiah Washington publicly praised Trump over the First Step Act explaining that the bill was the first step to “end mass incarceration” while the Hill described it as a major bipartisan victory for the then-President.
Times have certainly changed since then, and especially since the George Floyd riots in the summer of 2020.
Some of those released early since this bill was enacted have reoffended, including at least one who was later charged with murder.
Lyin’ Ron.
He voted for the First Step Act.
Would be a shame if there was 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 Allowing Death Penalty for Child Rapists Advances
Trump’s Plan to Combat 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 stop-and-frisk preventative measures.
He posted a campaign video in which he accused President Biden and the ‘Defund the Police’ Democrats of turning American cities “into cesspools of bloodshed and crime.”
“Because police forces have been gutted by Democrats’ war on police, I will sign a record investment in hiring, retention, and training for police officers nationwide,” Trump announced.
In his plan to combat rising crime, Trump adds that the police funding will be tied to practices that show the department is serious about implementing strict enforcement of laws.
“I will insist that local jurisdictions 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 cooperating with ICE to get criminal aliens off our streets and get them out of our country.”
His plan calls for DOJ investigations against “radical Marxist prosecutors” who are failing to enforce laws based on race.
Pres. Trump is calling for a record investment in hiring, training, and retention of police officers to end the lawlessness and chaos in our cities and crack down on crime.
Specifically:
– 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 allowing for capital punishment for child rapists, like he has done in Florida. He has described the bill pushing the tougher capital punishment 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 advantage on crime.
NBC/YouGov Poll: Who do you think would do a better job handling…? (N=359 R voters)
The Economy:
Trump — 61% (+48)
DeSantis — 13%
Foreign policy
Trump — 59% (+44)
DeSantis — 15%
Immigration
Trump — 56% (+44)
DeSantis — 12%
Crime
Trump — 42% (+26)
DeSantis — 16%
Best… pic.twitter.com/6izdkZhCv9
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) May 30, 2023
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