Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley have come under fire from several Trump loyalists for failing to comment on rumors that the former president will be arrested Tuesday.
MAGA Republicans have criticized DeSantis and Haley for not speaking out against the Manhattan district attorney’s office for what they say is weaponizing the justice system.
DeSantis is widely rumored to be preparing to run against Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. Haley was the first to enter the race after Trump.
Jason Miller, a Trump adviser and former CEO of the right-wing free speech app Gettr, noted a “radio silence” from the two since the rumors gained momentum early Saturday.
He simultaneously shared comments from Mike Pence, who on Saturday accused Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg of ‘impeachment’ after rumors spread that his office would indict Trump over Stormy Daniels’ hush money payments. .
Ron DeSantis (pictured) and Nikki Haley have come under fire from several Trump loyalists for failing to comment on rumors that the former president will be arrested Tuesday.
MAGA Republicans have criticized DeSantis and Haley (pictured) for not speaking out against the Manhattan district attorney’s office for what they say is weaponizing the justice system.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, now one of the most powerful Republicans in Congress and a once-trusted Trump ally, also spoke in his defense Saturday morning.
He wrote: “Here we go again: an outrageous abuse of power by a radical district attorney who lets violent criminals walk while seeking political revenge against President Trump.”
“I am directing the relevant committees to immediately investigate whether federal funds are being used to subvert our democracy by interfering in elections with politically motivated prosecutions.”
He tweeted again on Sunday: “Alvin Bragg is abusing his position to attack President Trump.”
Adding to the pressure on DeSantis was that he is the governor of Florida, the state Trump has made his home since leaving office.
Far-right social media personality Mike Cernovich suggested the governor should make it clear that he would not extradite Trump from Florida without “proper legal review.”
“DeSantis is making his first unforced error by not reporting this illegal act,” he said. One Twitter user pointed out that Trump had suggested that in the original Truth Social he would turn himself in and that it was not an extradition case.
Ben Kew, managing editor of the conservative news site Red State, wrote in response: “I say this as his most ardent supporter, but Ron DeSantis is making a huge mistake by not speaking up on the issue of impeaching Trump.”
Jason Miller, a Trump adviser and former executive director of the right-wing free speech app Gettr, noted a “radio silence” since the rumors gained momentum on Saturday.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy tweeted in defense of Trump within hours on Saturday morning.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump (pictured in 2019) at Orando International Airport
The pressure DeSantis is now under to comment on Trump’s rumored impeachment was especially evident in responses to the governor’s most recent tweet, posted Saturday afternoon, that related to Hurricane Ian.
‘The world is watching your every move, Ron,’ read one of the top responses.
‘You are making a serious decision by not addressing the current corruption. By staying silent we know you are being bought and paid which is horrible for the future of this country,” another read.
‘OMG I never thought I’d see Ron’s comments like this…’ one person tweeted.
While DeSantis was quick to be accused of cynical political strategy. Unlikely presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy tried to use the situation to his advantage.
He had harsh words Saturday for the Republican camp, saying their silence could be “the beginning of the end.”
While DeSantis was quick to be accused of cynical political strategy. Unlikely presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy tried to use the situation to his advantage
If an indictment is filed in the case involving Trump’s hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, it would be the first against the former president and could open a floodgate for other cases against him.
“Today was an important day in the country,” Ramaswamy said during a brief press conference after his own comments at the forum.
“The reason I’m doing this is because I think the rest of the Republican field has been deafeningly silent on an important issue in the country today,” he added of the news that an impeachment might be looming.
“What I am going to say has nothing to do with Donald Trump and everything to do with the integrity of an election and the integrity of a self-governing democracy,” added the biotech billionaire.
“So I don’t care if you support Trump or not, if you support the integrity of our constitutional republic, then you have to be on the side of being really clear.”
Ramaswamy has been very eloquent in denouncing the possibility of an impeachment against Trump, claiming that there would be no case if it weren’t for the face that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is harshly anti-Trump.
He claimed during his press conference in Charleston on Saturday that Bragg is a “politically empowered prosecutor” seeking to “eliminate opposition from a ruling party using the power of arrest.”
